Kingdom Hearts: Twisted Souls Part I: Adventure
by MindReader13
Summary: Sequel to Lineage of the Key. A year has passed since Gentai and Riku left to defend the worlds, but now it seems there may be a new problem with the Heartless. But the question is: Who is the true enemy of the worlds, Maleficent or themselves?
1. Prologue: Into the Darkness

**DISCLAIMER: I still don't own anything to do with this story other than my OCs or plotline (though technically I do own part of Disney) and this filters through the whole story.**

**Author's Note: To new friends, welcome! To my few old hats: welcome back! This is my second story or sequel to "Lineage of the Key" following a year after that story and the adventures of our heroes. This is also the only chapter during which I will put an Author's Note at the beginning. Now then, if you're all ready let's begin with:**

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Kingdom Hearts

Twisted Souls

A Sequel to…

Lineage of the Key

Prologue

Into the Darkness

_Of light and darkness cast aloft_

_Are those who wish to be whole_

_Free them, help them, fight them we must_

_These poor and twisted souls_

_"They look perfect together don't they?" Gentai said with a smile._

_"Yeah…to believe I was so selfish to think it should have been me standing there when it was Sora that Kairi's heart had chosen all along." Riku chuckled a bit before he turned to Gentai. "No Demora?"_

_"She'll be waiting for me when I come back." Gentai said, shrugging._

_"And where might you be going?" Riku asked him, wondering as to the logic behind this._

_"This war isn't over. Maleficent's still out there and I'm not coming home till this battle is." Riku nodded at the statement and there was silence as the two lovebirds on the beach remained in their embrace and the waves crashed around them. "You wanna join me?"_

_"Huh?" Riku asked in surprise._

_"We can keep the islands and the worlds safe. I'll need some help. And besides…" He looked towards Sora and Kairi. "I think they deserve to live a peaceful life without fighting for now."_

_"So why us then?" Riku asked._

_"Because this task is handed down to us like a lineage, like a dynasty. And also…you and I both have done dark things. You had given into the darkness and I had killed my best friend. We both have darkness inside of us and that's what we'll be fore the worlds. Defenders of light, darkness, and twilight." Gentai faces Riku staunchly. "Because we can be the outcasts. We can make the choices no one else can make and end this war."_

_"You've got conviction." Riku said jokingly._

_"Whatever." Gentai said shrugging his shoulders. "I'm going whether you want to or not but…it'd be better for both of us I think." Riku didn't answer as Gentai summoned his Keyblade and created the portal of light to another world. "You coming?" Riku looked at Gentai and then at his two best friends on the beach._

_"Yeah." Riku said and he took a step towards the portal. "See ya later." He said quietly to Sora and Kairi before following Gentai through the portal which closed behind them in a burst of light._

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**Author's Note: Yes, this was short and taken word for word from the ending of my first story but that's why I'm posting this and the real first chapter on the same day. So click the next button and start reading if it so pleases you.**


	2. Chapter 1: Beyond the Shore

**DISCLAIMER: I still don't own anything to do with this story other than my OCs or plotline (though technically I do own part of Disney) and this filters through the whole story.**

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PART I

ADVENTURE

Chapter 1

Beyond the Shore

"_You reside in darkness. What I need is someone who can move about the realm of light."_

-DiZ to Roxas shortly before Sora awakens

The silver haired man bent down and crouched very near to the sands. He sniffed the air around the water for any sign of his quarry. It was there, and it was faint but he knew hat it had come this way. They were getting somewhere. Granted they had been hunting it for three days now and every time they got close the object of their pursuit always seemed to slip away. The man cocked his hand and with a motion of his arm, beckoned his companion over. The young boy, no more than the age of sixteen, wearing black clothing with silver linings and a faint trace of brown and green trim ambled over. He had short brown hair and a stern look on his face as though he'd been through quite enough in his lifetime.

He joined his partner and crouched down to his level. The silver haired man looked at him and nodded, confirming they were back on the track of their target. The boy cracked a smile, granted not a happy smile but rather one of happy achievement. But the boy put a question to the man: how did he know?

"Why don't you smell for yourself?" the silver haired man put to him with sarcasm leaking into every one of his tones. The boy gave him a look of small disgust, though of course he didn't mean it at all.

"You know I can't." he said sternly. In fact, he had said it so sternly the silver haired man began to laugh. "I can only sense when bad things are going to happen, I can't smell the darkness or any of its other stenches."

"Fine!" the man snapped to his companion. "It doesn't matter. Let's just get moving."

"Moving where? We know he was here, but where did he go from here?" the boy asked.

"Gentai, you're really starting to get on my nerves with that." The boy, Gentai, fixed him with a look that would have caused even the fiercest warriors to quail, but the man stood his ground. "True his scent ends here, but my sense of smell and detection has matured."

"Oh yeah…a little side effect of your darkness…" Gentai said. "Fine, do what you want Riku, but we have to find him before he targets Twilight Town." Gentai leaned against a small rock on the darkened beach where they were standing and rested his eyes a bit. Riku scoffed. A year had passed since he'd gone to journey with Gentai and had left Sora and Kairi alone to a peaceful life on Destiny Islands. A year of battling and tracking and it had barely gotten them anywhere. Of course that didn't mean that Riku could count the number of times they had been successful on his fingers or toes. They had defended Radiant Garden a great number of times, visited with King Mickey at Disney Castle, trained themselves at Olympus Coliseum when they had gotten bored or stuck…but had overall, made no progress.

But Riku felt that they had been on the right track. He closed his eyes as well but remained standing straight up. He took a sniff in of the air around him and let it encompass him. The first scent he had found was light, bursting with it, the scent of Gentai. But Riku sought past that scent. He didn't have to go very far before he found the scent of darkness he had been looking for. He tracked its movements around the abandoned beach before he realized that the trace ended near the water. So Riku allowed himself to carry his feet over to the water and he knelt over it. That was the strange point: why would the scent suddenly vanish at the water. Water washed away smells certainly but it could never wash away the darkness. So Riku sniffed a little further and he found it.

"We got him." Riku said with a hint of triumph in his voice and Gentai walked over, his eyes snapping open. "If I can calculate right, I can create a portal that will take us straight to the world he's on."

"And then it will be the next world, and then the next world, and then the next! This guy will never stop running so long as we pursue him. He'll keep bouncing from world to world until we stop or we catch him."

"Well then, let's just make sure it ends with the latter." Riku said to him, firmly.

"Is it Twilight Town?" Gentai asked. Riku shook his head. He knew why Gentai was worried about their target heading for Twilight Town: the wedding they would not be attending…but Sora and Kairi would, and they did not want to run into them. It had been a year since they had parted ways with the Keyblade Master and his fiancée and both of them felt if they were to encounter them they would never resume their quest ever again. Gentai breathed a little easier.

"Relax, we'll get him." Riku summoned his Keyblade into his hands and held it out in front of him, focusing on the scent and its track and then allowed the light that was in the Keyblade to shoot forward creating an image of a keyhole in front of them: a portal of light that would stretch to the worlds beyond. "You gonna follow me through this one or create your own."

"Because I can totally track him on my own when you haven't even told me where we're going." Gentai said, the sarcasm heavily implied in his voice that lashed out at his companion. Riku laughed loudly.

"All right, all right. I got the picture." Riku said, acceding to Gentai's comments. He then motioned for Gentai to enter into the light portal first. Gentai obliged and stepped through, Riku following shortly behind him as the portal closed on the beach. The tunnel crafted of light didn't stretch for very long, unlike those that, if Riku remembered correctly, were crafted of darkness and soon they emerged.

Where they entered was a place that was familiar, at least to their eyes. There was a bright sun hanging overhead in the sky, shining down from the clear blue canopy that stretched above them. Down on the ground, where the two wielders of the Keyblade had emerged was a field of grass that was filled with a great multitude of flowers. As Gentai searched around for any distinguishing features he found that there were a few spots on the ground where it seemed someone frequented quite often. He then made a full circle and noted a castle in the distance and, down in a valley…was a small house. And this confused Gentai.

"Why would he come back here?!" Gentai asked. Riku sniffed the air, just to make sure that his calculations and suspicions had indeed been correct, and sure enough there was darkness swirling around, more recent than the other places he had been to. In fact, the scent was so strong that it seemed almost impossible they would miss their quarry this time. "I mean, wouldn't he think that we would easily be able to track him _here_. This is the most obvious place, it is his home."

"Do I look like I would possibly know?!" Riku said, slightly angrily. He looked around before focusing his scent and tracked the movement of the darkness, locating soon, its very source. He pointed in its direction, toward a forest on the edge of the meadow. "The darkness is over there."

"And you're sure about this? After all, we don't want to go there and run into a chipmunk made of darkness." Gentai laughed boisterously and Riku scowled at him. He turned his back on the young boy and strode towards the forest. Gentai sobered up and followed straight after him. The forest was only a few yards away from where they had landed but the interior of the forest immediately had a darkened plane comparative to the meadow. The two companions strode through the forest, their ears, eyes, noses, and senses in general pricked for any sign of their quarry or of danger at all.

As the two walked, they examined the trees around them as well as the blades of grass. There were a few scratches here and there on the trees and the forest was deathly quiet, as though it was the den of darkness that Riku had found. They had been walking for a few minutes when Riku stopped a moment.

"Hmmm…That's interesting." Riku said aloud as he sniffed the air a bit more. Gentai gave him a look as if to ask what was interesting. Riku turned to him and answered. "There's a smell here that is extremely faint…like it was here decades ago almost…but it's familiar."

"Whose is it?" Gentai asked, intrigued at this mention. So far as he knew, Riku didn't know anyone other than himself who had been to this world.

"Terra." Riku answered and Gentai nodded his head, reminding himself of the events that had transpired a year ago which led to this unlikely pairing of heroes on a task to save the worlds. Terra was the knight who had sought to destroy and vanquish the people of the worlds merely because he felt the pervading stench of Xehanort…whether this was the same Xehanort Riku knew or a different one it didn't matter. He began a war at Radiant Garden, and that was where it had ended. He had tried to submit everything to the darkness, much like where his heart had fallen, but Gentai had reminded him of his friends and he sacrificed himself to end that same darkness. And here was Riku telling him that while Terra was gone, his stench from years ago still lasted.

"Interesting. But let's move on." Gentai said, forcing the subject away and picking up on their trail again. Riku nodded to him wordlessly and proceeded to follow Gentai once more through the forest. But then it was Gentai's turn to stop.

"What is it?" Riku asked, worried at his comrade's sudden stiffness. "Is it another one of those feelings?"

"They're here." was all that Gentai said and in a flash of light, his black and white Keyblade, Pale Twilight, had appeared in his hand. Riku followed in suit, summoning the Way to the Dawn. Then they saw the yellow lights that were actually eyes, shining out of the darkness of the forest. Gentai braced himself and the yellow eyes flew themselves at the two. Gentai twirled around and his Keyblade cut through a blue Heartless that seemed to be flying out of nowhere, Condor Heartless. The birds tossed themselves at the trio and Riku muttered some words, erecting a shield around the two as the Heartless slammed against it and disappeared. After the first wave, Riku dropped it, fearing the toll it might take on his energy.

The Heartless flew at them again, but this time, Riku jumped up into the air and slammed down on them, creating a small shockwave that destroyed some Heartless, but only ruffled the leaves on the tree. Some of the Heartless decided to switch targets then and aimed for Gentai. Gentai braced himself for the incoming attack and smirked. As the Condor Heartless came close and were within a certain radius, Gentai focused his energies into a spell.

"Blaze!!" Gentai yelled a ring of fire that was about three feet in radius and about four feet high spread around him, burning away the Heartless that did not instinctually turn away from the consuming fire. The fire faded and Gentai was soon met with the stern look of his companion.

"Gentai! Remember what we talked about!" Riku yelled to him as he twisted in midair and brought his Keyblade on another Heartless. One of the heartless flew at him before he had the chance to say anymore and Riku held his palm out to it, firing a burst of dark energy at it that destroyed it. He did a quick turn around to see if any Heartless were coming straight at him. None were…yet. "No area affect spells in such a tight area! Do you want to burn the forest down?"

"Sorry, sorry," Gentai replied sheepishly. "Projectile spells only, I got it! Sheesh…" He shook his head and Riku gave a sigh of exasperation. _Why do we have to go through this every time…?_ Riku thought to himself but turned his attention quickly back to the new Heartless that were coming at him. he calmed himself and sat there as they came at him. Then, using his mind, he swung his Keyblade around him in a wide swath that destroyed a multitude of Heartless that left Gentai to deal with the only Heartless left.

Gentai pointed his Keyblade up at a dive-bombing Heartless and focused his magic into a new spell. He yelled the word "Frost!" and an icy projectile flew out of the tip of his Keyblade, striking the Heartless hard in the chest and it disappeared. The remaining ten Heartless then decided to get more aggressive and dove at him. Gentai took the chance and leapt into the air, nimbly landing on a tree branch. Then he jumped off and angled himself down towards the congregating Heartless. He held his Keyblade out, the tip pointing towards the Heartless, and he prepared to cast the ancient spell that Mickey and Minnie had taught him while they had been staying at the castle.

"Light!!" A ball of light flew from his Keyblade's tip and struck the Heartless congregation dead center, where the light blossomed for a moment and then receded, leaving nothing but dirt, where Gentai promptly landed. He looked to Riku and cocked his head back in triumph. Riku chuckled. "Well that was odd."

"It certainly was…" Riku said, thinking to himself. "Those Heartless didn't look native to this world…they seemed to belong somewhere else…So why would he bring them here? He would know they're not native more than anyone else."

"Why, oh, why indeed?" said a voice from the treetops. It was deep and slightly gravelly, no doubt due to the power of darkness, and had a sarcastic tone to it that it had only recently picked up. "You've done well to track me this far, Riku…and Gentai." The two males snarled at the mentions of their names and brought their Keyblades to bear.

"Yeah, well, why don't you show yourself, coward!!" Gentai yelled but the voice from the trees merely laughed.

"I choose not. If you wish to fight me and my darkness then seek me out in The New World." the voice said.

"What new world? We've followed you through almost every world?!" Riku yelled angrily, his darkness almost beginning to once more get the better of him again.

"If that is what you believe…I will be waiting…this war you have been fighting for nearly a year is not yet finished…" the voice said, tauntingly to the two and the scowls on their faces deepened.

"Like we couldn't have known that at all!" Gentai yelled out with sarcasm but in frustration. The voice laughed again. "Glad I could amuse you! Now come down and fight!"

"Perhaps another time." the voice replied to Gentai's request. "For now, I pass a message from my master…or rather mistress…this war is but beginning." There was silence that passed in the forest for a moment before the voice made one last statement. "Goodbye…I'll let you live, like I did the princess of this world…for now." There was then a whooshing noise and Riku could sense the bulk of darkness leaving. Nevertheless, the two stared around, searching for a sign of where he was. But after five minutes of fruitless searching Riku decided to revert to his tried and true method of searching for the man's next destination.

He sat on the ground of the forest as Gentai looked around some more, determined to find something. He sniffed the air…most of the darkness had vanished. There was, of course, still a small nimbus of it resting on the treetops but that was clearly where the man had been. He searched forward, into that nimbus of darkness and detected, much easier than last time, the path the man had taken. He smiled to himself…as much as he hated being one of the dark, it had certainly paid off in the end. He held his Keyblade in front of him and created the next portal. Gentai looked at it in surprise when it came up.

"You found him?" Gentai asked.

"I certainly hope so…this can't go on forever, you know. And now we're closer than ever." Riku told his partner.

"Yeah…you're right. We need to end this! Give his mistress our regards…" Gentai breathed in some air and fixed Riku with a hard look. "This war's over soon." Riku couldn't help but laugh. He knew it wasn't true but he couldn't help but admire his companion's courage. He nodded and Gentai walked into the corridor of light and Riku willingly followed.

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**Author's Note: So there it is, the first chapter, but don't expect to**** be seeing much of Riku or Gentai for a while since the beginning is going to focus a lot on Sora and Kairi. If you're wondering who they're hunting, I dropped two clues in there, one relating to Disney knowledge and the other to **_**Kingdom Hearts**_** news. Though I'm sure that most people can derive who the "mistress" is. As for the next chapter that will be up I-Don't-Know-When it will cover some weddings, and yes that's plural, but I won't tell you what happens there.**

**In the meantime, here's a list of worlds that Gentai has previously been to so you can be up to date on his adventure that I haven't written about, and possibly provide me with more worlds: (Not counting KH specifics) Kuzcotopia (**_**Emperor's New Groove**_**), Agrabah, The Land of Dragons, Olympus Coliseum, Neverland, Atlantis, Monster World (**_**Monsters Inc.**_** because Disney now owns Pixar), Hawaiian Islands (**_**Lilo and Stitch**_**), and Port Royal (both Pirates 2 and 3).**

**Which I want to note that in the first story, Gentai made a mention of worlds but he had not gone to all of them. Anyway, drop a review as to what you think and any worlds I might want to take into consideration for the future. But until next time: Dare to Be Silly.**


	3. Chapter 2: Weddings

**DISCLAIMER: I still don't own anything to do with this story other than my OCs or plotline (though technically I do own part of Disney) and this filters through the whole story.**

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Chapter 2

Weddings

"_We'll be together everyday, right, Sora?"_

-Kairi to Sora before merging with Naminé

"I hate this stuff, Pence!" Hayner cried from his dressing room in a building off of Market Street in Twilight Town. "Why do I have to wear this ridiculous penguin suit?!" Hayner was currently trying to put on his suit/tuxedo for his wedding that was to take place in only a couple of hours. However, he was encountering some…difficulty. Not that Pence was any help. He had just been glad that he had managed to convince Olette to let the groom and his best man…and in fact all the groomsmen to wear a color that would not show stains with sea-salt ice cream. That was only because that was all that was being served for dessert in, as Pence called it, "true Twilight Town fashion".

In reality, with Pence being the Twilight Town CEO of the Sea-Salt Ice Cream Corps, set up by Scrooge McDuck, he had just wanted to make some profit at this wedding on the side. To this end, he did not answer Hayner and instead let Hayner struggle with the tuxedo on his own until yet another familiar face entered in the room.

"Hey Blondie, you almost done?" said yet another blonde haired boy however with a skullcap on his head to cover up his hair. Hayner turned to him agitatedly. True, he was on better terms with Seifer now than he had been in the past but the two would still argue quite a bit. And besides, it wasn't Hayner's decision that Seifer was to be a groomsman, it was Olette's in order to "settle the feud between foolish boys" as she put it. So, Hayner just glared at him for a moment before deciding on doing something that would annoy Seifer to no end.

"Hey Seifer, Olette's not gonna let you wear that during the ceremony." Hayner told him and Seifer looked at him confusedly, almost as if denying that he was wearing anything that shouldn't belong. "The hat, genius." Seifer scowled unappreciatively and removed his hat, revealing his short, yet still messy, blonde hair. Hayner laughed at the look he had and Seifer thought to himself that if it wasn't his wedding day, he'd take him out right there. Sure enough, his body had tensed up but Pence took the upper hand.

"All right, let's go…" Pence said, pushing Seifer out of the room quickly. But before shutting the door he turned quickly to Hayner. "But seriously Hayner, hurry up, they're not gonna wait forever!"

"Then get me some help!" The door slammed shut and Hayner sighed. He hated having to put this thing on. True, he had wanted to marry Olette for quite some time now, but the work of just putting on simple clothing was enough to make him want to quit. Then the door opened again and Hayner sincerely hoped it wasn't Seifer.

"Hey man, Pence said you're having trouble." said an all too familiar voice and Hayner smiled. He turned around and saw a brown-haired boy leaning in the doorway dressed in his own tuxedo, though looking quite uncomfortable in it, which was funny since he was going to have to get used to it in the next week or so. Sora walked forward and laughed at his friend's displeasure with his tuxedo. "I know just the guy who can help you with that." Sora held his hand in front of him and Hayner saw, in a flash of light, the silver and gold Keyblade appear. Sora lifted it up into the air. "Genie!"

There was a puff of blue smoke and soon a magical whirlwind of energy known as Genie appeared in the dressing room. The moment he saw Sora he looked like he had had way too much caffeine and started bouncing around all over the place making proclamations of how glad he was to see Sora.

"So then, what'll it be Sora? Want me to put some swimming pools in this room, or how 'bout a ride? I can do imitations at a party!" To prove his point Genie transformed into Jafar. "Give me the magic lamp, Aladdin!" Then he poofed back into the loveable blue lug. "I gotta lay off the Jafar impersonations, they've been driving Al and Jasmine nuts…and Iago almost wet the bed one evening."

"Calm down Genie." Sora said quickly so as to stop Genie from going absolutely bonkers on them. "I just need you to help Hayner fix his tuxedo." Genie turned to Hayner.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Genie! The one and only Genie of the lamp…though I've been lacking the lamp for a while now." Genie then rubbed his shoulders as though rolling up his sleeves. "One tuxedo transformation coming right up!" He snapped his fingers and there was a poof around Hayner's figure and when the blue smoke vanished Hayner was revealed to be wearing what Aladdin had been wearing at his wedding. Sora groaned.

"We're not in Agrabah, Genie!" Sora said loudly and Genie looked at his work.

"You're right…we need something better…" Genie had prepared to cast another spell but Sora glared at him harshly, or would have been harshly if he hadn't been trying to suppress the laughter at Hayner's clothes. Genie took the hint and changed Hayner back into his old tux that now looked perfect on him. "So, what might I ask is the occasion?"

"My wedding." Hayner told the blue guy. Genie got excited and started bouncing around the room again.

"Oh, I love weddings! Can I stay Sora?" Genie asked and Sora shook his head. Genie sagged a little bit.

"Come on Genie, you don't want to wear yourself out. We want you to be ready for our wedding next week." Sora said.

"I totally forgot about that! I gotta remind Al!" Genie said quickly and he poofed away. Sora sighed in relief…sometimes Genie was too much to handle for one day.

"I liked him." Hayner told Sora and Sora laughed aloud.

"Spend more than a few hours with him and we'll see how you feel then." Sora said and he took the now ready Hayner and pushed him out the door. The wedding was going to take place in the Sandlot, where they had placed a wooden stage over the actual sand so that the clothing wouldn't get screwed up. Sora led Hayner there and into the Sandlot where Seifer, Pence, Vivi, Rai, Fuu, and of course Kairi were all standing around. "The groom's here!"

Everyone who was already in the sandlot turned to look at them and Hayner walked up to where the altar was stationed and bounced up and down on the balls of his feet. There were still ten minutes before guests were allowed in the sandlot so the others left Hayner alone to his nervousness and converted to talking amongst themselves. Sora walked over to Kairi who was dressed in a beautiful pink dress that almost made her out to be floating on air and matched almost perfectly with her auburn hair. When he got over to Kairi she hugged him and kissed him.

"What took Hayner so long to get ready?" Kairi asked Sora. Sora kind of shrugged.

"He was having some trouble with his tuxedo…so I called in Genie and that almost made things more complicated." Kairi giggled and Sora just sighed. "I'm just glad we didn't have the three fairies come and do Olette's dress or else we'd be here till next year."

"And then we'd miss our wedding." Kairi gasped.

"And we wouldn't want that." Sora chuckled. Then the Twilight Town clock tower bell rang and all the groomsmen and bridesmaids moved into their positions. Sora winked at Kairi and she giggled as the guests filed in and took their seats.

Twilight Town weddings were a little different than what you'd expect. For the most part this was because, everyone but the bride was already in place before the guests were allowed in. And thanks to the fact that weddings took place in such an open place, more than the guests invited could watch the wedding, they just couldn't sit in the sandlot. Regardless, after what seemed to be about ten minutes of mass chaos all of the guests were seated and Vivi began playing the organ that had rolled in, drawing on the practice he had taken from Olette who had been playing piano since she was six but never let on to anybody but Hayner. All heads, including Hayner's, turned down the aisle and the steps that led up to the platform from the Usual Spot. Olette walked up those steps and Hayner could almost feel his heart melt. She was wearing what all brides typically wore, a white dress. Her brown hair was currently tied in a tight bun, courtesy of Kairi's Keyblade and magic, and her green eyes shone radiantly. She walked down the aisle and soon joined Hayner at the altar where the two took each other's hands. The ceremony that followed was simple, and performed by the Struggle promoter, and after about a half an hour, Hayner and Olette were happily married.

The reception that followed was also everything that it was meant to be. Hayner and Olette shared a dance, despite Hayner's awkwardness at this notion and even the sea-salt ice cream went down well, granting Pence a major profit to report to Scrooge McDuck via his Gummi Cube Link Method. It was well into the night that Sora and Kairi were standing outside their Gummi Ship that they had landed in front of the Old Mansion, along with Hayner, Pence, and Olette.

"Thanks for coming you guys." Hayner said happily and Sora gave him a thumbs up.

"We're friends right? Why would we miss your wedding?" Sora said cheerfully.

"Just take care of yourselves all right?" Pence added.

"Of course we will." Kairi answered.

"We'll leave you two love birds alone for now, but remember that Donald and Goofy will be swinging by next week to pick you up for our wedding." Sora said, repeatedly reminding himself that he would have to remind his two friends of this notion as every time they spoke, both of them seem to have already forgotten.

"See you in a week then." Olette said and the couple smiled before opening the ramp onto their Gummi Ship and walking aboard it, blasting off soon after for Destiny Islands.

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Five days passed and Kairi was at last putting the finishing touches on the plans for her wedding. This was, of course, aided and abetted, and also possibly delayed by the over-energetic and sugar high Selphie. Kairi was seriously regretting allowing Selphie to help plan her wedding when she had informed her of it almost a year ago now. Even now, when they were only two days away from it she winced when she saw Selphie coming near and Sora was, in a word, worse. He would cringe any time he saw her and Kairi would have to make up some cover story as to where he was. But he couldn't escape her wrath at the rehearsal yesterday. Thankfully, Kairi had someone else who was at least level-headed and became a counter-point to Selphie's over-hyperness: Demora.

Demora had remained behind on Destiny Islands when Riku and Gentai had left a year ago. She had promised to wait for Gentai to return and was doing surprisingly well with it. She had, of course, received a number of advances from many other teenage boys on the islands, but she remained faithful to Gentai and took none of them up on their offers. For that point, she also knew what Kairi was feeling whenever she asked Demora whether Riku was going to come home for the ceremony.

"He and Gentai have been gone for a year." Demora stated in a rather sorrowful manner. "I doubt he even knows about the wedding, much less will even come to it." Kairi nodded her head, accepting what Demora said though she didn't want to believe it. That same discussion had followed five days after Hayner and Olette's wedding right before Selphie arrived.

"Okay, so, everything for the reception is set and there's only one small bit of trouble." Selphie said and Kairi quirked an eyebrow, wondering what this problem could be. "Your list of guests! It's so long, and as I understand…there are animals coming." Kairi giggled and took the list from Selphie's hands. As he ran down in she saw that sure enough there were quite a lot of people. Of course she knew in her head that many of them weren't really going to be able to come. For instance, though Sora had invited King Mickey, he couldn't come due to a very important meeting with his Disney Castle Court that was to take place later that day. That was why only Donald and Goofy could come to the party.

"Why don't you just relax Selphie? I mean, everything's set right, the wedding's on the beach, we have enough space. Everything should go fine." Kairi said nonchalantly, quite bored with Selphie's quiddities.

"I don't want things to go fine! I want them to go perfect!" And so Selphie went trailing out of the room and Kairi sighed as Sora entered in from the other side.

"Is she gone?" Sora asked and Kairi nodded at her fiancée. He heaved a humongous sigh of relief. "What is her deal sometimes?"

"She's just trying to help Sora…" Kairi told him.

"I know, it just gets annoying after a while." Sora said, grinning his cheesy grin at her that made her heart melted. "Well, in two days we won't have to worry about planning a wedding anymore!" Kairi beamed at him and then nuzzled up next to him as he sat down in the chair next to her. She was happy to be by his side.

"No mushy stuff guys, I'm gonna have to deal with it from your wedding on out, so none today." Demora proclaimed, her frustration at their affection displaying itself.

"Sorry Demora." Sora apologized and she waved it off.

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At last the day of Sora and Kairi's wedding had come. Many people not only from the islands had come but also a great number of worlds. Donald and Goofy had been the first to arrive and much to Donald's chagrin were wearing their own versions of tuxedos. Goofy introduced Sora to his son Max, who was enthralled to meet Sora and Sora returned the gesture. Aladdin and Genie were the next to arrive along with Jasmine, Iago, Abu and Carpet. Hercules, Meg and Phil followed soon after, Auron was too cool to come to the wedding…right now…Sora was a little disappointed that nobody from Radiant Garden was able to come but he was able to deal. Sora then ran through the rest of his list mentally, he had forbidden Jack Skellington from coming on the fear that he might scare everyone away. Simba had been able to make it with Nala and their daughter Kiara and it freaked some of the other guests out a little bit that they could all talk. Also, Ariel and Eric had managed to stop by, sending regards from Triton, Flounder, and Sebastian.

But unfortunately, those were the only ones that could come as everyone else was a little busy with other things back home, but Sora was fine with that. The only person who was missing now, who Sora knew would not show up, was Riku. But he came to terms with that in his own mind and quickly got himself ready to be married to the girl of his dreams and the love of his life. It was roughly noontime that Sora was standing at the altar on Destiny Islands, only a stone's throw away from the Secret Place where Sora and Kairi had both drawn pictures of them drawing paopu fruits with each other. True, they had not yet shared one with one another, but Sora was saving that for tonight.

The crowd was quite packed for what would promise to be the wedding of the century. In fact Genie broke out into song, using the lyrics from Aladdin's wedding only replacing it with words that fit for Sora and Kairi…it didn't work to well rhythmically and it got even worse when Donald and Goofy joined in the song, but the guests loved it and Sora couldn't help but find himself chuckling. Next to him at the altar were Donald and Goofy, shortly followed by Tidus, Wakka and Hayner. On the other side, where the bridesmaids would soon be, Sora imagined standing there Selphie, Olette, and Demora. He smiled to himself. He had been waiting for this day for a very long time.

Then the island became quiet as the magic started to play. Now it was Sora's turn as opposed to Hayner's to look at his beautiful bride coming down the aisle. First came Selphie dressed in a yellow dress, naturally, her happiness at her best friend's marriage exuding itself in the air around her. Next came Olette in a green dress that showed off her eyes and accented them. Demora came finally in a blue dress and despite being much younger than the other three women, she still was able to stand up to them in stature. And at last, Sora saw Kairi coming down the aisle dressed in her white gown that shown so brilliantly that Sora thought it could only have been from the pure light in her heart. She made it up the aisle without happenstance and took Sora's hands as they went to stand before the priest.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join two hearts and hands in marriage…" the priest began as both Sora and Kairi smiled at each other. The ceremony then began to proceed as usual. At last, the priest got to the vows. "Do you-"

"Sora!" Donald yelled out and at first Sora was a little pissed off that Donald had chosen a very inconvenient time to be rude. But then he saw Sora was pointing somewhere and his line of vision followed the finger and met with black shapes emerging from the ground. Black shapes with yellow eyes.

"Heartless!!" Sora said and much to his displeasure, his hand left the comfort of Kairi's hand and summoned his Keyblade. Kairi followed in suit. Many in the crowd screamed as the Heartless came up but some of them braced themselves to fight, despite their fancy attire. Demora herself jumped from their elevated level to the stone wall that elevated part of the island. She kicked at a certain rock and it came loose. She reached in and grabbed her katana, unsheathing it, preparing to fight. The Shadow Heartless leapt at the guests but Simba let out a mighty roar that dispersed them into the air as more Heartless arrived, this time Soldiers as well as some Neoshadows. Sora knew this was more than just a random Heartless attack: it was organized. He quickly called for Genie who poofed over.

"Genie, I need you to get everyone out of here post-haste!" Sora yelled and Genie saluted to him and began to ask where people's homes were and began taking them there. Sora leapt down from the altar, Kairi right next to him in her dress that surprisingly didn't rip. "Special dress?"

"Let's just say that magic works wonders, sweetie." Kairi said, her fingers dancing on his chin a bit.

"Well, sorry, but it looks like our wedding might have to be put on hold for a little bit." Sora said with a sheepish grin.

"Well, no use having our wedding if all our guests get their hearts stolen." Kairi said and Sora nodded his head wearily.

"Sora!" Donald yelled from in the midst of Heartless. "Hurry up and help!"

"Right! Sorry Donald!" And both Sora and Kairi rushed into the thick of battle, knocking Heartless away. Sora told Simba to go home merely because they didn't want him ripping up the island with his claws and Simba obliged. Aladdin swung through the crowd with his scimitar and cut through some of the shadows that were encroaching upon them. The Neoshadows leapt at Sora and he jumped in the air, twisting around. "Donald, Goofy, I could use your help!"

The two companions nodded and Sora focused his mind on transformation and both Donald and Goofy's bodies disappeared from the battlefield. Sora came out of the bursting light all dressed in yellow and wielding both his normal Kingdom Key and the black one that was known as the Oblivion. He made immediately for the Heartless and twisted around in the air, the Oblivion moving partially of its own accord. Kairi watched her still fiancée fight and couldn't suppress the thought that she believed Sora looked sexy in yellow. But as some more Heartless leapt at her she swung her Keyblade and cleaved through them. Then a line of soldiers began to charge at her.

"Gale!" she yelled and a cutting gale fired from her Keyblade and sliced through the impending Heartless with a single slice of wind. Kairi prepared herself to face the incoming Heartless but Demora flew out of nowhere and slashed through them with her katana. As she landed all Kairi did was stare at her. "You brought your sword to a wedding?"

"Well, sorry I can't summon my weapon out of mid-air!" Demora said sarcastically. "Besides, you never really know when there's trouble." Kairi smiled at Demora and Demora nodded her head before they turned to watch Sora clear the last of the Heartless away as Genie spirited the rest of the guests away. Sora rose into the air and started spinning his Keyblades around him as it created a vortex that sucked in the remaining heartless. A small bloom of light appeared at the apex of the Keyblades and then Sora released the hold and the Heartless were instantly obliterated. Sora landed and his clothes then changed back to the white tuxedo he had been wearing before as Donald and Goofy both appeared.

"That takes care of that!" Sora said as he looked around and made sure: the guests were gone and safe and the Heartless were vanquished.

* * *

**Author's Note: Whew! That's a lot for one chapter…at least for me. I certainly hope you enjoyed this chapter…and hopefully the Haynette piece. Sorry that I cancelled Sora and Kairi's wedding but you don't think I'd let them get married that easily? Nope, there's lot more where that came from. Why did the Heartless attack? What will happen now? Read more to find out when I next update the story. Oh yeah, and I decided to split this story into two parts since it would be way too many chapters…for me anyway. I don't know if it will be two separate stories or just one with a distinction of what is part 1 and 2. But for now this is Part I: Adventure. Let me know what you think I should do. In the meantime, please click that little button at the bottom that says review and let me know what you think. Dare to Be Silly.**


	4. Chapter 3: The Space That Is Space

**DISCLAIMER: I still don't own anything to do with this story other than my OCs or plotline (though technically I do own part of Disney) and this filters through the whole story.**

Chapter 3

The Space That Is Space

"_The Keyblade will prepare new pathways along which you may travel."_

-Yen Sid to Sora, Donald, and Goofy

"Why would the Heartless attack?" Kairi asked, looking around at the broken chairs that littered the island. She almost wanted to cry at the fact that her wedding was ruined but she pushed it past her. Surely, Sora was feeling much the same way. But at the moment Sora had to push those feelings aside as he looked at the desolated beach. He shook his head at Kairi's comment.

"No idea…" Sora mused for a moment, the most Kairi thought he ever did muse. "Well, at least the guests got out okay."

"Selphie is going to be angry though…" Kairi sighed out, knowing that Selphie wouldn't be too happy that the wedding hadn't turned out perfect and in fact hadn't turned out at all. But she'd deal with that little complication later. And Sora agreed, shrugging his shoulders at the matter.

"I'm more worried about what the Heartless are doing here more than whether Selphie's ticked that we didn't get married." Sora said with a stern look on his face and Kairi couldn't help but giggle. He turned to her with a look that stated clearly this wasn't the time and she ceased her outburst from going any further. Sora turned away from his fiancée and walked over to Donald and Goofy. "Hey Donald!" Donald and Goofy both turned to him simultaneously and waited for him to say something.

"What is it Sora?" Donald asked. Sora grinned at the duck for a moment before making the request.

"I need you guys to hurry back to Disney Castle and try to get His Majesty to cancel the court meeting until we get there." Sora said, a half-baked plan already formulating in his mind. "Let the king know about what's going on and we'll discuss what we should do when we get there."

"You got it Sora! We'll let the king know!" Donald said, giving a thumbs up and winking to Sora. Sora laughed…just like the old days.

"Thanks, you guys." Sora said with a huge smile on his face. Those two could never fail to cheer him up.

"But when will you be coming Sora?" Goofy asked his friend and Sora turned to him, thinking for a moment. The two members of the Disney Castle Court stared at him for a little bit while he thought out his answer.

"Hmmm…" Sora thought for a moment as Kairi walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. Sora looked to her and she beamed back at him before turning to Donald and Goofy.

"We'll be there as soon as we can, right Sora?" Kairi answered for him and Sora nodded his head. "We'll try and leave by tonight." Donald and Goofy nodded before saluting to Kairi who giggled. "Come on you guys, you're Sora's friends! You know me! I don't want any formal things just because I'm a princess of heart!"

"Yeah! Get going you guys!" Sora said and they nodded, Donald beginning to activate the system to bring them up to their Gummi Ship.

"Come on Maxie, we gotta get going!" Goofy yelled as his son, who was dressed in a red tuxedo grumbled loudly.

"Dad! I told you not to call me that!" Max yelled as he ambled over to his father. But before he could join up with his other fellows from Disney Castle, Sora stopped him. Max looked at Sora for a moment. Sora chuckled to himself. Max looked so much like his father…Sora had only hoped his own father would have been alive to see this day but he was dead and gone…and had been for years. Not to mention, he had only met Max but could already trust him like he trusted Max's father with his life.

"Hey, don't be so hard on your dad. He's only doing what he thinks is best for you." Sora told him. "He's been through a lot of stuff just to see you I'm sure."

"I know…I respect my dad, he can just be embarrassing sometimes…but I'm following in his footsteps. I want to be the Captain of the Royal Knights." Max said, thumping on his chest proudly.

"Hey, I'm sure you'll do fine." Sora said grinning and the two shook hands, Max running off to his father soon after as the ship took off for Disney Castle. Sora turned back to Kairi as Demora came running up to them. "All right, Kairi, we'll leave around six?"

"Sounds good to me." Kairi said, agreeing with Sora's every word. The two turned away to where their boats were but a voice quickly called them back.

"I'm coming too!" the voice said agitatedly. The two lovers turned back to the owner of the voice who just happened to be Demora. She was standing there firmly, her hands on her hips and her hail now out of its usual ponytail and flowing in the air as though she had just left battle.

"No way Demora." Kairi said sternly. "We're not risking your safety on something like this. It's way too dangerous."

"Too dangerous?!" Demora shrieked in mirth. Clearly she found that statement quite amusing. "Might I remind you _Kairi_," she said with a biting tone emphasized on the final word, "that last I checked you were one year younger than me when you were abducted by Axel and took up your Keyblade to fight. And you couldn't even fight back then, you had to have Sora and Riku teach you how for the next six years!" Kairi could not believe what was pouring from this girl's mouth and she was almost ready to slap her silly, despite her fondness of her. But one look at Sora quelled that anger inside of her and she relaxed, letting Sora take the field on this one.

"Can we ask why you want to come along?" Sora asked sympathetically.

"Why do you think?" she asked him rhetorically. "The Heartless attacked…and if Gentai and Riku are off fighting the Heartless and didn't come here, isn't it possible that they could be hurt?"

"So it's because you're worried about your lover?" Kairi asked her. Demora blushed fiercely for a moment and would have denied the charges were they not true and were there not a bigger situation.

"You put yourself in danger by going through a portal of darkness just to escape from Axel and find Sora." Demora said and at last Kairi nodded her head, accepting Demora's logic. Sora looked between his two female companions.

"All right. Then you can come too…we meet here at six, got it?" Sora told her and they began walking away as Demora fired one last question at them.

"What do we do until then?!" she cried out to them incredulously.

"I don't know about you, but I can't fight Heartless in this clothing…or on an empty stomach. So just go and get yourself ready." Sora said as he and Kairi both got into the bigger boat that had taken them over to the island in the first place. Sora then summoned his Keyblade and used magic to propel them toward the island where their homes were. After roughly ten minutes they landed on the beach and stared out toward the island they just left where they saw Demora's boat quickly approaching. Then they turned back towards their homes to a sight they didn't want: Selphie was running toward them. Kairi quickly assured Sora that she would cover for him and he slinked off to get dressed and ready.

"Kairi!!" Selphie yelled as she ran over and Kairi sighed, her look conveying the only question she would have asked her. "I can't believe it! We planned this for months and those things show up and ruin it! What are we going to do! We're going to have to reschedule and re-book the caterers as well as some other things like decorations and your outfits are probably totally ruined so we'll need to fix those and oh, this stinks! Not to mention we might not have all of the guests going back…but I'm kind of glad about that because some of them were a little weird and we don't need the likes of them here." Selphie then paused to take in a breath from saying so much. She then looked around. "Kairi?" Sure enough, Kairi was gone, having snuck away during Selphie's rant to go and get ready for their journey.

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Sora quickly ditched his wedding clothes as he entered inside the house in favor of his old black traveling clothes. He had kept them clean all these years just because the fairies had worked so hard on deciding a good color for them and they had served him well in his past journeys and he wanted to honor that. His clothes still fit on him perfectly and as Merryweather had told him, the clothes did grow with him, which made them perfect. he quickly fit on his fingerless gloves and stretched his hand. He looked in the mirror and smiled to himself. He once more looked the part of a Keyblade master. He summoned his Keyblade in front of him and swung it around. Oh yeah, he was ready to go. He pulled out his hidden box of Keychains and looked around for some of the ones he thought would be useful on his quest. Oblivion, Guardian Soul, Decisive Pumpkin, Ultima, Olympia, Circle of Life…well, that would be good for now. He shoved them in his pocket and decided to move on.

He ran downstairs and ran to his pantry. He pushed aside the wide conglomeration of food he had stored there and pushed his arm further to the back and the secret compartment there. He pulled it opened and found his secret stock of Potions, Hi-Potions, Ethers and Elixirs. Not to mention his special stock of munny for emergency times. After checking himself over a few more times as he would before entering into battle he finally decided he was good to go and headed straight for the Gummi Ship that was on the island. He beamed himself on quickly just to make sure that everything was in working order and was happy that everything was. He checked the clock on the ship and saw there were only five minutes left before six…had he really taken that long? He shrugged his shoulders and beamed back down on to the beach.

"Where were you?" said a familiar voice and Sora nearly stumbled into the sand. He looked around to see Kairi leaning against the stone wall. She had a small smirk on her face and Sora couldn't help but think she was hiding around here while he had checked on the Gummi Ship. But Sora, being Sora, decided that he had best answer her.

"I was checking the Gummi Ship interior." Sora said, pointing behind him and into the sky. "Needed to make sure everything was good and ready to go for the trip ahead." Kairi nodded her head and smiled. Sora smiled back but then Kairi put a finger on her chin and seemed to be thinking about something.

"Why can't we just use our Keyblades to open a portal to Disney Castle?" Kairi asked him. He scratched his head as he thought on it for a moment before he turned back to Kairi.

"Well, we are taking Demora with us and…I don't know…maybe we can't take non-Keyblade Masters through those portals." Kairi then agreed to that sort of logic. Then they both realized the same thing. "Where _is_ Demora?"

"I'm right here!" Demora said loudly as she boldly strode across the island. Clearly, she had just gotten there. She had a small backpack on her back and was wearing the simple red and white clothing she had been wearing a year ago when she took off with Gentai. Strapped on her back was her katana which was currently in its sheathe. Her hair was once more tied in a ponytail to keep it out of her hair and she had a determined look set on her face. "Are we ready to go or what?" Sora nodded and ordered the rest of them to stand by him. He then used his Keyblade to activate the Gummi Ship and transport them onto it.

As Kairi looked around the ship she noticed that it was in fact that same ship that had brought them back from Radiant Garden a year ago. When Sora had been kidnapped Riku and Kairi had their own for use (which was originally Sora's) until they were attacked by Zexion. When they joined Gentai and Hikaru they used their Gummi Ship. But Gentai had flown it to Twilight Town where Terra had appropriated it onto his ship which was then subsequently destroyed, leaving them Gummi Ship-less. So Cid had leant them one and that was the one Kairi found herself standing on. The Gummi Ship was currently hovering in space so it was difficult to tell if it was daytime or nighttime but Kairi felt a large fatigue creeping into her body from the day's hard work and was fully prepared to turn in. Demora already had that thought and went straight to what was her room on the way home. Sora meanwhile headed into the cockpit and started fiddling with controls.

"What are you doing?" Kairi asked him as he switched some controls from green to blue. He cocked his head to her but did not turn it fully.

"I'm telling to Gummi Ship our destination and setting it on auto-pilot…I'm as tired as the rest of you and we can't meet the Disney Castle court with me falling asleep and drooling on myself, now can we?" Sora told her and she giggled a little as she leaned against the wall of the cockpit nearest to the door. She closed her eyes for bit, resting them while Sora finished things up in the cockpit. As Sora was putting on the final touches she sighed and when Sora flicked the last switch that set things in motion he turned towards her. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just…kind of sad that our wedding ended up getting postponed…I mean, a year of planning and listening to Selphie down the drain." Kairi sighed out and Sora, instead of saying anything to her just gave her a hug and a kiss.

"Hey…we can still act like were married if you want?" Sora said, quirking his eyebrows multiple times in quick succession. Kairi fixed him with a glare that caused him to shrink away.

"Not until we're married properly!" Kairi said, smacking him playfully on the back of his head. He just cringed as she did so.

"Not the spikes! Not the spikes!" He said, covering his head up while she giggled again. Then she turned to the door.

"I'm going to sleep. Wake me when we get there…" she told him as the door opened in front of her instantly. She thought for a moment and then added as an afterthought, "…and don't do anything else!" Sora gave her a sheepish grin as she walked off, the door closing behind her. Sora quickly did a rough check that all systems were working and the ship was moving before he left the cockpit. He entered into his room and collapsed onto his bed. _What a day!_ he thought to himself through his exhaustion. But deep down inside, Sora was angry. A mere five minutes away from being married to Kairi and the Heartless had to come and screw it up…what was going on?

Sora rolled over on his bed and found the box he had used his magic to transport onto the Gummi Ship earlier. He opened it and looked inside…the paopu fruit was sitting there, glistening like dew on a tree's leaves. It was a perfect star-shaped fruit…but nothing more. Sora chucked it against his door where it fell to the floor with a soft thud. Sora sighed loudly. One day…one day…but unfortunately for him, and all the worlds, that day was not today and would not be coming for a very long time.

**Author's Note: So there's chapter 3…which was more of a filler chapter than anything. The chapters in the future won't be so fillery, so don't worry. I just didn't want this awkward segment tagged onto something it doesn't really connect with. Regardless, I hope to post chapter 4 by today as well and give you all possibly something to look forward to. Anyway, please review and let me know what you think of this story. Dare to Be Silly.**


	5. Chapter 4: The Disney Castle Court

**DISCLAIMER: I still don't own anything to do with this story other than my OCs or plotline (though technically I do own part of Disney) and this filters through the whole story.**

Chapter 4

The Disney Castle Court

"_We've got a problem, Goofy! A big problem!"_

-Donald Duck

Sora awoke early in the morning. He was surprised that he had been able to fall asleep but knew that Kairi had always called him a lazy bum and sleeping was just the way to live up to that glorious name. He yawned loudly and rubbed his eyes, realizing he was still dressed in his clothes. He did a quick flip off of his bed and steadied himself. Then he made for the door but stopped short as he noticed the paopu on the ground. He bent down and looked at it. He then decided to pick it up and place it in his pocket where he knew it would be safe…after all, Jiminy had been in his pocket through many battles with the Heartless and Organization XIII and he made it out okay.

Sora then proceeded to leave his room as his door opened with a whoosh and he made his way to the cockpit. He sat down in the captain's chair that he had sat in for much of his last adventure with Donald and Goofy and he looked at the monitors. There was only half an hour left until Disney Castle so Sora decided he needed something to busy his hands…and annoy his fiancée and their other passenger at the same time; he took the wheel.

To Sora, this was one of those pastimes long forgotten. He remembered putting the ship on warp and barrel rolling around a bunch of times just to drive Donald nuts on their way to worlds. And Sora believed it would be just as effective now. He spun the ship in mid-space without changing their course or direction. He flicked a green switch that enabled warp mode and he pushed the thrusters on the ship forward, going forth with a speed beyond any mortal man. Sure enough, after roughly five minutes of flying that way (now that the warp drive cut the time in half, they had ten minutes left), the door to the cockpit whooshed open behind him and he found two tall and staring statues of a young woman and teenage girl who were quite angry to have been disturbed this early.

"Morning sunshines!" Sora said brightly to the two females glaring at him. "Glad to see you're up bright and early today. Sorry we have no time for breakfast at the moment but you might want to change into suitable clothes since we will be landing at Disney Castle in about," He checked the monitor in front of him before turning back to the ladies. "Oh, about seven minutes." The clatter behind him as they ran off to get changed could not have been more evident.

Sora was just touching down in the Gummi Hangar at Disney Castle when Kairi and Demora came back into the cockpit looking a little tired but otherwise no worse for the war. Sora flicked some controls and the bridge that led into the actual hangar extended itself from the Gummi Ship. Sora was the first to stride down and was met with the familiar sight of Chip and Dale.

"Howdy Sora!" Dale yelled out as Sora came into full view. "How you doin'?"

"I'm all right Dale." Sora said and then he turned to Chip.

"The king's waiting for you." Chip said, not as over-enthusiastically as his partner. Sora nodded as Kairi and Demora approached from behind them, Demora fully surprised at seeing Disney Castle for the first time.

"Where is the king?" Sora asked quickly and both of them responded to him at the same time in quick succession.

"The audience chamber!" they yelled out and Sora thanked them before motioning to both Kairi and Demora to follow him out into the courtyard. The courtyard was fairly empty as the light from the sun lit its pristine gardens and topiary. There were a few people around, enjoying the sunny day but Sora knew that they truly had no time for such pleasantries. So he rushed his companions along until they reached the stairs leading up to the Colonnade. Some of the brooms came running past him bearing buckets of water and Demora giggled slightly at their awkward appearance. As the trio began to near the doorway they soon heard a rather loud barking noise and a huge patch of yellow soon bowled Sora over and had him pinned to the ground, licking his face. Sora kept laughing as it did so.

"Okay Pluto, okay Pluto! It's good to see you too!" Sora said happily and very soon he was able to get Pluto off of him and stand straight up. But Pluto had already moved onto the next guest and was running circles around Kairi who quickly bent down and began to scratch him behind the ears. After all, Kairi was very fond of Pluto, the lovable yellow dog having been her only companion in the jail cell at The World That Never Was. When Kairi stopped scratching behind his ears, Pluto quickly dashed to Demora and sniffed her. He seemed to decide she was a friend to because he licked her outstretched hand before running off. The three of them chuckled and giggled, whatever was appropriate before they quickly made up for lost time and ran into the audience chamber.

"Your Majesty, we're here!" Sora yelled out. He stumbled into the audience chamber complete with its red, blue, and yellow carpet and noticed some immediate changes. For the most part, the room was very much the same as it had been the last time he had come here, there was just something extra now sitting in the room: a table that was about ten yards long and roughly two yards wide, sitting about four feet off the ground. There were twelve chairs seated around the table, five on each side and two at the ends of the table. All the heads in the audience chamber turned to look at them and the tiny mouse king jumped up when he saw Sora, Kairi, and Demora.

"Sora! There you are!" Mickey cried out and both Sora and Kairi gave him a deep bow out of respect. Demora quickly caught on and followed their lead. "I'd like you to meet my court!" Sora looked around at the people seated around the table and realized that he actually knew quite a few of them surprisingly. At the end of the table closest to the entrance was Queen Minnie Mouse herself, radiant as always, wearing her usual dress of red and white. Stemming off from her left was her royal retainer Daisy Duck in a dress of purple. Yet another female sat at the table next to Daisy and Sora recognized her as Clarabelle Cow from his brief trip to Timeless River. But that was where the females of the court ended as next to her was Scrooge McDuck, Goofy, and a person who seemed to remind Sora of Horace Horsecollar (which Sora thought meant he probably was). King Mickey was at the end farthest from the door and next to him was Donald followed by another duck who Sora didn't know or recognize whatsoever. There were three empty seats at the table which Sora figured were meant for the three of them. They walked forward as Chip and Dale rushed past them and planted themselves on the table, indicating, as Sora thought, that the two Gummi engineers were part of the court. Sora sat down in the middle chair right next to Kairi and the duck he didn't know. He turned to him.

"Hi, I don't think we've met before I'm-" Sora began but the duck cut him off with his very German accent playing into his tones.

"Sora. Yes, I know. I am Professor Ludwig von Drake, key scientist of Disney Castle and part of the Disney Castle Court." the duck, Ludwig von Drake or just Professor Drake, stated to him. Sora nodded before turning his head toward the king.

"You do know why we're here, right Your Majesty?" Sora asked him and Mickey nodded.

"Yep! Donald and Goofy told me all about what happened at your wedding." Mickey said, a slight sadness creeping into his voice. "I'm sorry fellas."

"Hey, no, it's okay. We understand that there're bigger things at stake. Right Kairi?" Sora said, looking at his love. She nodded at him as well as in the king's direction. Mickey smiled at them but the smile dropped and he became serious…or at least as serious as the king of Disney Castle could be.

"Right, so I've gathered the court today to discuss the new threat of the Heartless." Mickey began, standing up on his chair so that he actually towered above the taller members at the table. "Maleficent must be causing trouble again fellas."

"So what do we do Your Majesty?" Donald asked with a sad look on his face.

"Simple. We find a way to eliminate the Heartless altogether. That would halt Maleficent's plans and prevent a bunch of trouble altogether." said Professor Drake. Everyone at the table turned their heads to look at him and Clarabelle Cow was the first to speak out.

"If that was possible, we would have already found a way to do it by now." she told him and Professor Drake decided to rethink his suggestion. Mickey just sighed, a small frown on his face. Horace Horsecollar leaned in to voice a new thought that had occurred to many of the members at the table.

"Perhaps we'll have to send some people forth to fight the Heartless once again and make sure the worlds are safe." he told them, shifting the horseshoe like collar around on his neck. The members at the table sent up a collective murmur and both Minnie and Daisy shifted uncomfortably in their seats, knowing just what was going to transpire if the conversation went any farther. Sora now decided to voice his opinions.

"With all due respect, Your Majesty," Sora began and all the heads at the table turned to look at the Keyblade Master. "We already have two people out fighting the Heartless at the moment…though we don't exactly know what's going on with them."

"Well to be honest, Riku and Gentai haven't made that much progress according to themselves." Mickey said with a sigh and both Sora and Kairi jumped out of their chairs.

"What did you say, Your Majesty?!" Sora exclaimed and Mickey realized that he had made a mistake in saying what he had just said.

"Oh dear, perhaps you should just tell them." Minnie told her husband. Mickey nodded.

"Sora, Kairi, they both have stopped by here more than a few times to let me know what was going on with their quest. One time they were badly wounded and Gentai's clothes were ripped all over." Sora and Kairi descended into their chairs, shocked at this news. "I tried to get them to tell me what happened and who they were after but they refused to let me know. Me and Donald healed their wounds, the fairies created new clothes for Gentai and they were off soon after that. We haven't seen them since."

"When was that?" asked another member of this table, this time it was Demora.

"Oh, it was about two weeks ago." Daisy Duck answered her and Demora nodded, slightly disturbed at this troubling news of her, well she guessed he could be called her boyfriend, being so reckless and hurt. But Sora, two chairs down from her was thinking rapidly.

"Well…if they got hurt they might not be doing as well as we had hoped…which means…" Sora deliberated on.

"Which means we will have to send the two Keyblade-" Scrooge McDuck began and Kairi cleared her throat quite loudly, prompting Scrooge to change his sentence. "Forgive me, three Keyblade wielders at this table to journey forth and battle the Heartless." Mickey nodded at Scrooge's suggestion.

"And we'll have to split up." Mickey said loudly. They shot a glance to him, wondering why this would happen. "There are plenty of worlds out there and having all of us going to the same world will be a little difficult. Also, if Maleficent is trying to obtain Kingdom Hearts it will be best if we split up and secure the other six princesses as quickly as possible."

"Then how do we split up Your Majesty?" Goofy asked. Mickey thought for a moment.

"Sora, I know that you're capable of taking care of Kairi, but for now I want her to travel with me." Sora took a glance at Kairi who smiled sorrowfully but Sora knew it was for the best. But Mickey added on, as though to alleviate the seriousness of the proposal: "You've learned a lot about the Keyblade from your journeys…but Kairi still needs to learn a bit more and I'd like her to learn some more from me."

"All right then Your Majesty. We'll be in contact anyway." Sora said, agreeing to the king's terms. "How else will we split up then, if Kairi is going with you?"

"I want you to go with Donald and Goofy again, Sora." Donald and Goofy jumped out of their seats.

"All right! We get to travel with Sora again!" Donald yelled and Sora laughed loudly. As much as he wanted to travel with Kairi he was glad to be traveling again with his old friends.

"Does that mean that Demora will go with you Your Majesty?" Kairi asked him. Mickey nodded, and Demora said nothing to contradict that statement. But Kairi was glad that at least Demora would be going with her.

"All right everyone, I think this court's business is done so, we have an hour to get ready before the two teams split off again." Mickey said, ending the meeting of the Disney Castle Court.

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In the now darkened halls of the Castle That Never Was Maleficent was standing in the meeting room that was once Organization XIII's meeting place. However, for now all the chairs save for Maleficent's were at the same level and they were all staring at the orb in the middle of the room where the Heartless attack at Sora and Kairi's wedding was replaying. When it finished Maleficent looked at her new companions.

"As you can see, the worlds are unprepared for such a strike on them." Maleficent told her compatriots.

"Unless you count what those other two are doing." a man flickering with blue flame said sitting next to Maleficent and she rubbed her temples. Thinking about those two was giving her quite a big headache.

"But what of the Keyblade Master?" said a cackling female voice in the room. "Is he not a problem as well? After all, I want that lecherous, loathsome boy in my grasp and have my revenge for him killing my dear sister!"

"Patience Morgana, you shall have your revenge and I shall have my own." Maleficent said. "We must perform this all with the utmost precision and plan our strikes against the worlds. As you are all aware, many of you are already in prime position to take your worlds."

"But they all have something lacking that stops them from doing that." said the big, fat, and ugly Pete next to her.

"Silence fool!" Maleficent said, green fire encompassing her being for a moment and Pete shied away.

"Truthfully, I shall lead the attack on my world as soon as this little pow-wow is finished." said an older female. "That meddlesome fool Merlin is away from our world and I can take it easily, what with Arthur's current predicament." Then she let off a high-pitched cackle. Hades sighed, placing his chin on his hand, bored with the current proceedings. A deeper voice then spoke out that sounded odd and misplaced to many of the members.

"Most of the members of my world, though powerful, lack the knowledge that I am even there to fight and are blissfully unaware of my continued existence. And with the Heartless on my side it will be simple to do what I must." said the voice and many members stared at the armored person from whom the information was coming. At last they looked at the final member in the room, dressed in a red cloak and a horned mask: the Horned King.

"And you my most faithful lieutenant?" Maleficent asked and the Horned King cackled.

"All I need do is find the Black Cauldron and my worlds shall fall easily." the Horned King said and Maleficent nodded in delight.

"Well, I believe that is all we need know for our meeting at the moment then you are all-" Maleficent began but Hades soon cut across her.

"Where's Hunty?" Hades asked and Maleficent glared at him but he didn't shy away from it. After all, why would a god need fear death.

"He's off doing what I commanded of him." Maleficent told him and left it at that. She then quickly dismissed the new Hellfire Club and they left hurriedly. But Hades remained as Pete went running off somewhere in the castle.

"You know, last I checked, I was your highest lieutenant." Hades said in anger, splotches of red flame mixing with those of blue.

"You failed me one too many times Hades." Maleficent said with disdain as she turned away from him.

"And yet I'm still here. This is what, the fourth little club you've created and I've always been one." Hades paused and thought. "And you know, last I checked your highest lieutenants: Jafar, Davy Jones. Yeah, they're gone now aren't they, courtesy of the Keyblade Masters." Maleficent ignored his comments and walked away. Hades erupted in flame in the room. "FINE!! Then I QUIT!!!"

And he poofed away in a puff of dark smoke. Maleficent smiled. She had no need of such fools. All that was left now was to continue with her plan…whatever it may be.

**Author's Note: Well, there you have a plot-furthering chapter. Next chapter is where they start going to Disney worlds but that might not be up for a while. If any of you are wondering why I chose Sora to go with Donald and Goofy it's mostly because you see a lot of Sora traveling with Kairi and Riku in fan fiction but I wanted him to travel with his old traveling pals that would bring in more laughs than there otherwise wouldn't be.**

**Now as for Maleficent's council I believe it would be unfair to tell you who all of them are: Madam Mim from **_**The Sword in the Stone**_**, the Horned King from **_**The Black Cauldron**_**, Morgana from the second Little Mermaid, Royal Pain from the movie **_**Sky High**_** (which turned out to be a surprisingly good movie) and I'm not going to tell you who Hunty is as you can either figure it all out or wait. On another note, if any of you have read my story **_**Lineage of the Key**_** then I'd like to say I found some gaping holes in it and will go back in time to fix them all up. If you haven't read it…then maybe you should check it out once I finish that and let you all know here. **

**Also, though this may not be standard, I would like to thank Lord Moldybutt whose fan fic really inspired me for part of my story, mostly the Horned King and putting quotes at the beginning of my chapters and if you like this story I would suggest checking out their stories as well. In any case, I hope you liked this chapter and please review. Dare to Be Silly.**


	6. Chapter 5: First Things First

**DISCLAIMER: I still don't own anything to do with this story other than my OCs or plotline (though technically I do own part of Disney) and this filters through the whole story.**

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Chapter 5

First Things First

"_You see, she's a princess. One of seven who somehow holds the key to opening the door."_

-Jafar to Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Aladdin

"Are you sure you'll be all right dear?" Minnie asked of her husband five minutes before flight. She was worried, like she was always worried whenever he went out on an adventure. Mickey nuzzled up his nose against hers.

"Don't worry Minnie, I'll be back real soon! I promise!" Mickey said to her and she smiled. In the Gummi Hangar, Goofy and Demora were getting their respective ships ready as the other three people who would be leaving were saying their goodbyes. Daisy was yelling at Donald regarding something about a date and Sora and Kairi were saying goodbye in their own fashion…in other words, making out. When the time came at last for departure Goofy came and split them up. He didn't do it without effort but they both decided it was for the best. Sora gave one last wave to Kairi and then followed Goofy onto the Gummi Ship, strapping himself in the captain's chair.

"So, where to first?" Sora asked his two companions. Goofy rubbed his nose a bit and Donald put a feathered hand on his chin, thinking about it aloud.

"Well, His Majesty wants us to make sure the princesses are safe…" Donald mumbled out. "But which princess do we start with?" Sora suddenly snapped his fingers.

"I know! We'll go to Agrabah first, I wanna apologize to Aladdin and Jasmine for all the trouble at our wedding." Donald quickly agreed to the notion after of course questioning Sora as to where they would go next, of which Sora had absolutely next. He then quickly began flicking switches to get the Gummi Ships engines going. Their ship was to leave first of course, so Mickey could make sure they were safely off before setting his own course. While the Gummi Ship engines were warming up, Sora turned to Goofy.

"Hey, who's going to lead the guards while they're captain's away again?" Sora chuckled out to his good dog-like friend.

"Aww…Gawrsh Sora, I didn't think it was that important…" Goofy blurted out and Donald nearly jumped out of his seat if he hadn't been strapped down.

"Wak! You didn't appoint anyone in your absence?!" Donald jabbered out.

"Ahyuck, you didn't think I'd do that now did ya?" Goofy said, almost sheepishly. "Why, His Majesty came and spoke to me and I appointed Maxie to the head of the knights. Gawrsh, I hope he'll be all right."

"Oh, he'll be fine Goofy!" Sora said. There was a short beeping noise and Sora looked to the screen and smiled. He nodded his head at his companions. He gave them the thumbs up and prepared to jettison himself out of the castle. But when the gates finally opened a big red error pointing down was shining and moments later, Sora was very glad that he had his seat belt on as the Gummi Ship went on a free fall through a small canal and popped out into space. He quickly set a course for Agrabah and the trio was once more on their journey.

For the time while Sora was piloting his way through asteroids and other things, they began to catch up with each other. True, they had kept in touch but to be perfectly honest they still knew little about their current lives. Sora got to know a little more about Goofy's son and was informed of how the relationship between Donald and Daisy was going. On the flipside, the duck and dog were able to learn about Sora's mad planning for the wedding that never took place as well as his worries and his fears that Riku might not be okay battling the Heartless with only Gentai by his side. Still, it was a pleasant, and short, travel for the three of them and before long they were preparing to beam themselves down into Agrabah.

"Well, let's hope that Jasmine's okay for now." Sora said hopefully and Goofy nodded fiercely at him. Donald quickly turned to Sora.

"Hey, maybe Riku's there!" Donald said and Sora agreed, jumping into the air. Then Sora sobered up a bit and faced Donald staunchly.

"Just remember not to try and steal any treasure from the Cave of Wonders like last time Donald!" Sora said before chuckling as the duck got his feathers all ruffled.

"That was Abu!!!" Donald squawked out and Goofy joined Sora in his peals of laughter. Then the machine sent them down, depositing them right outside the palace. The three companions began to walk straight up to the palace gates, only to have themselves be stopped by an ugly-looking guard with a horrible goatee.

"No one is allowed in the palace, especially not street rats!" the guard said. Sora got into a defensive stance along with Donald.

"Hey, watch who you're calling street rat!" Sora exclaimed to the guard. "If you're gonna call us that then the proper terms would be Mr. Street Rat."

"Yeah, ya big palooka!!" Donald told the guard, agreeing with Sora's every word.

"That's it! I am Captain of the Guards and I will not be spoken to that way!" the guard roared, spit flying from his mouth. "Guards, seize these good for nothing lowlife street rats!" A few of the guards who had been loitering around quickly fit their turbans around their heads and began to close in on the trio. Goofy quickly took out his shield while Donald prepared for him to cast a spell. Sora grimaced a bit before summoning his Keyblade in a blast of light. The lead guard stood back in shock. "Th-that's a-a-"

"That's right!" Sora said proudly. "A Keyblade! Now back off." The guard didn't back off. In fact, he bowed to Sora, though from the way he was kneeling, it was quite obvious that he didn't want to. Sora looked at him oddly before he heard a friendly and familiar voice.

"Hey Sora!!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy all looked up towards the palace gates to see Aladdin running straight for them. They all jumped up and down in greeting their old friend. "I'll take it from here Razoul." The head guard, Razoul, nodded. Aladdin then led the three up the steps and into the palace. Sora looked around the place and was quite astonished at its features, having not seen the inside of the palace before. Sora turned to Aladdin as they began to walk through the hallways.

"Is Jasmine here?" Sora asked him and Aladdin looked at him a little quizzically

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Aladdin said, a befuddled tone playing into his voice.

"Well, we think Maleficent is up to no good and we wanna make sure that the princess is safe!" Donald said quickly.

"Oh, Jasmine's safe here. I'll bring her over if you'd like." The trio nodded and Aladdin ran off to go and find her, leaving them in the throne room.

"Well, it looks like everything's okay here." Goofy said happily. Sora nodded.

"Yeah…but there's still five other princesses we have to worry about." Sora said hurriedly. "So, we're going to need to check on them fast. I suggest we first stick with ones we know however."

"How about Belle and the Beast?" Donald suggested to his spiky haired friend. Sora agreed with the duck. Soon after that conversation took place Aladdin hurried in with Jasmine.

"Sora, Donald, Goofy!" Jasmine exclaimed and the three bowed to her. She giggled a bit. "I have to say I'm a bit surprised to see the three of you here. Aladdin told me about what's going on."

"It sounds like there's a big problem. Is there any way we can help?" Aladdin asked and Sora began to think. "I mean, other than assure you that everything will be fine."

"Yeah!" Sora said leaning in towards his black haired friend. "You can protect Jasmine in any way possible. Though, I'm sure that you'll have no trouble doing that!" Sora and Aladdin laughed together and Jasmine smiled.

"Well, it seems that you're quite happy, considering what happened at your wedding." Jasmine said but Sora waved it off, assuring her that he and Kairi would get around to it once this little adventure was over with.

"In any case, is there anything we can do to help, since we're here and all?" Sora asked and both Aladdin and Jasmine shook their heads, assuring them that everything was fine.

"Then I guess we better be movin' on." Goofy said.

"We'll stop by real soon!" Donald said jubilantly. "But we gotta go and save the other princesses!" They bowed once more to the happy couple and Sora activated the Gummi Ship, beaming them aboard before he quickly set a course for Beast's Castle. They knew it would take a bit longer than their last trip so they retired to their quarters for the remainder of the journey.

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A beeping noise started blaring in their quarters when they were about ten minutes away from Beast's Castle and Sora immediately jumped out of his bed, already having been fully dressed, and promptly began racing Donald to the captain's chair. He beat the duck by a hair's breadth and did a small little victory dance before easing the Gummi Ship into the space near the castle.

"Gawrsh, I wonder if we'll still have to call him the Beast?" Goofy asked his companions who hurriedly shrugged their shoulders.

"I don't know Goofy." Sora said to him. "I mean, it's been seven years, you'd think the curse was broken by now." But Sora spent no more time thinking on it, flicking the switch that sent them down to the castle below. The first thing they saw shocked them quite a bit. The castle was no longer decorated with every type of ugly gargoyle but rather a beautiful white marble with angels that covered every inch of the castle. Even at nighttime, as it was now, the castle was still lit brightly with an effervescent glow. The three friends were truly shocked at the sight of the place, not only from having been here six years ago but also from the great change.

"Gawrsh, this place is different now…" Goofy said as a portly man dressed in a red suit came waddling down the stairs in front of them. He stopped suddenly as he saw them and seemed to cry out in jubilation.

"Oh dear! I hadn't expected such honored guests to be arriving." The man bowed low to them. "It is quite good to see you again Sora, Donald, and Goofy." Sora looked at the man for a moment and then an image of a clock flashed in front of him and he at last recognized the man.

"Cogsworth!" Sora yelled and Cogsworth nodded to him with happiness. "I see the curse was broken."

"Yes, and not too long after you left after defeating that awful man." Cogsworth stated fiercely. Donald looked at the man that now towered above him.

"Is Belle or the Beast here?" Donald asked and Cogsworth let out a small chuckle.

"Well, the master, that is to say he is now the prince, is indeed here. He and Belle are in the parlor." With his left arm he motioned to the parlor where it seemed a fire was coming from and where Sora could now her voices saying something. Sora quickly thanked Cogsworth and the three of them headed into the parlor where Belle and the Prince, as he was referred to, were sitting. They stood up as they saw them enter.

"Sora!" The prince said suddenly and Sora bowed to him. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey there Prince! We stopped by to see how everybody was doing." Sora told them with a grin stretching across his whole face.

"And we wanted to check to make sure that Belle was okay, a-hyuck!" Goofy said proudly and both Belle and the Prince looked at each other. Belle was the first to speak up.

"Why would you want to do that?" Belle asked them and Donald quickly offered an answer.

"Because of Maleficent!" Donald said, rapidly taking out his staff and brandishing it about. Sora quickly got his friend under control.

"But it looks like everything's fine here so…" But Sora could tell from the quick glance between the prince and Belle that everything was _not_ fine here. And Sora, of course, asked them what was going on. "Okay, what's wrong."

"Well, Belle's father Maurice, lives in the town near the castle." the prince began and Belle picked up the thread of the story from there.

"When I first came to live here, before the curse was broken, my father had been captured. I agreed to stay in his stead, reluctant at first and he returned to town. But I worry about him…he's always working so hard." Belle said sadly.

"Well, why don't you go down to the town and bring him back here?" Goofy asked them and the prince gave a small chuckle that seemed to Sora, to be more of a sour laugh.

"Well, we would but I think that if either one of us would go down there it would cause quite a problem thanks to the jealousy of a man Belle once knew." the prince answered to Goofy's suggestion.

"Well, whoever he is," Sora began to say to them. "We can go and beat them up! What's this guy's name?" Belle and the prince once more looked at each other and Sora confessed to himself that it was getting on his nerves but he let it slide. Belle was the one that answered.

"Gaston."

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**Author's Note: Ha! Bet you didn't see that coming! Okay…you probably did…but still. They'll spend two more chapters in Beast's castle dealing with Gaston so it should be lots of fun coming up. Sorry if it's been a little slow but the action will start picking up next chapter. On that note…I have noticed that every chapter I ask for reviews whether good or bad and yet still nobody reviews. Please, I beg of you to please review. You may feel bad if you give a bad review but don't be because I don't care. I just want to know what people think of this story. So please don't be shy and review. That is all I have to say for now so until then, Dare to Be Silly.**


	7. Chapter 6: Villager's Rage

**DISCLAIMER: Right, what's the point of putting this, everyone knows I don't own Kingdom Hearts. In any case, wouldn't it be funny though if a creator of Kingdom Hearts came on here saying they were a creator as they wrote their own fan fic and then everyone didn't believe them and they went public with it. Just a funny thought...though unlikely...**

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Chapter 6

Villager's Rage

"_This is it! This power! The darkness, the true darkness!"_

-Maleficent before turning into the dragon

It took a few hours for Belle and the prince to relate the tale of Gaston to them, in part because both Donald and Goofy were a little slow on the uptake. In summary was this, for many years before Belle came to the castle she lived in a village with her father Maurice. Gaston was the most well-bred villager (leastways according to himself) and prided himself on his looks believing that any woman in existence would want him…the same was true for Belle. Sora had definitely laughed at that. He always knew that Belle was a unique individual and she reminded him of Kairi quite a bit. They were both Princesses of Heart after all. For that matter, Belle was not ensnared by Gaston's looks and definitely not by his pride. To this end, she rejected him. When Maurice was lost in the wood he stumbled upon the castle here and was thrown into the dungeon. Belle found him and agreed to stay in his place. Sora, Donald, and Goofy all knew that aspect of things of course. Belle had only stayed there for a few months, while growing close to the Beast when suddenly Maleficent destroyed the world and took Belle away but the Beast survived. Sora of course, was one to point out that they could gloss over those facts, including what happened the following year.

The curse was broken soon after that, the Beast becoming Prince Adam and both he and Belle getting married. But Belle became increasingly worried over the years about her father. Maurice had opted to stay in the village and work on his inventions there. But the people thought he was a kook and while most left him alone Belle was worried that some would try to use him to their advantage. In other words…

"You mean Gaston?" Sora asked Belle and Belle smiled sourly at him and nodded. "But I don't understand, how could that help Gaston? You two are happily married…so…"

"It must be the Heartless!!" Donald yelled and Goofy looked at him.

"But Donald…the Heartless have nothing to do with Belle's father." Goofy said and Donald glared at him in the same manner he always did whenever Goofy reminded him they had been only "Junior Heroes".

"We don't think the Heartless have anything to do with whatever Gaston may be up to." Adam told them. "But to answer your earlier question Sora, Gaston may hurt Maurice if he doesn't get what he wants. That's what is worrying Belle."

"But what could Gaston possibly want?" Sora said, bemused. "It sounds to me like he's got all the fawning girls he wants down in the village."

"Well apparently those girls aren't enough." Belle said coldly. "He's jealous of me marrying Adam because he wanted me for his wife. I'm afraid he'll hurt my father if I don't…well, you know."

"But, uh, why don't you go down into the village and take care of him?" Goofy asked them and the two looked at him.

"We want to…but I don't want Belle hurt by whatever Belle's got planned and personally, the villagers aren't too happy that the prince in this little castle used to be an ugly beast." Adam laughed loudly and Sora waited for him to go on. "Not to mention that beast and his princess were the same reason their world was destroyed."

"But would the villagers help Gaston?" Donald asked. Belle muttered that she didn't think so but she wasn't entirely sure either.

"So, do you think you could help us?" Adam asked, turning to Sora. Sora placed his hand on his chin and thought for a moment. He certainly seemed to be reasoning through something in his head.

"Gaston's only fuel is jealousy in this case. That could lead to some serious anger down the line. I've seen something like that before…granted we weren't entirely human…" Sora said, reasoning out something of logic. Goofy was looking at Sora and suddenly had an idea come to his mind.

"Oh! You're talkin' about Scar aren't ya?" Goofy asked brightly and Sora smiled at him.

"But didn't Scar become a Heartless?" Donald quacked out in realization.

"Exactly…if this Gaston is fueled only by pure jealousy and hatred then he could turn to darkness and become a Heartless, or even worse, control the Heartless like Clayton did. Granted, it might cost him his heart, but if he controlled the Heartless he could lead an attack on the castle. He wouldn't need the villagers." Sora said to the group at large. Everybody in the room seemed to understand the circumstances set before them and Sora turned to both Adam and Belle. "Yeah, I think we can help you."

"Wonderful!" Belle squealed in happiness. "We can have rooms prepared for you and-" She cut off at the sight of Sora shaking his head. She seemed slightly crestfallen at this but dropped the scowl she had adopted in order to listen to him.

"You can prepare beds for Donald and Goofy but I'm going to the village alone." Sora said defiantly and Donald and Goofy both looked taken aback.

"But Sora," Goofy began. "Why can't we help you?"

"Yeah! You can't do a thing without us!" Donald jabbered out.

"First is, you guys might look out of place in the village and we need someone to go down there and see what Gaston is up to." Sora then took a deep breath, filling his lungs up with air. Then he released it. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT YOU DONALD?!!!!" Donald quailed before him, mumbling an incoherent phrase. After Donald stopped the room was silent. Sora looked at the other four in the room and nodded at them Then, without another word, he left.

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_And his names G-A-S-T_

_G-A-S-T-E_

_G-A-S-T-O-oh…_

_GASTON!!!_

The tavern inside the town was very lively and filled with all a hustle and a bustle. Drinks were being served all around and many of the men in the tavern were enjoying their beers poured fresh from the tap, praising Gaston and his perfect features. The man in question, Gaston, was sitting in a high chair in front of the fireplace, a small man running up to him giving him more and more mugs of sloshing beer. Gaston would easily down it in one swoop and then chuck the mug into the fireplace.

"Oh what to do Lefou." Gaston complained audibly. Truthfully, many of the villagers in the tavern knew that Gaston had been acting quite differently as of late. He had been acting as though a woman had dejected him and rejected his hand. They had only known of one woman who did just that but nobody had seen here in almost eight years.

"What's wrong Gaston?" Lefou piped out, hurriedly bring the beer to his "master". Gaston shoved the mug away and it slipped out of Lefou's hands, falling to the floor in a rushing cascade where Lefou instantly tripped on it. Without a moment's notice he attempted to stand himself straight back up.

"I feel as though I'm worthless. All my good looks, being the most handsome man in town and I'm still not good enough." Gaston said in a depressed tone.

"But you're the best there is Gaston! Why no man could rival your magnificence." Lefou quickly told the dejected soul so as to soothe the wrath that Lefou hoped wasn't going to pour forth.

"And yet Belle would still fall for that horrid man! That animal! Why if I had only had the opportunity, I would have ripped that beast's head from his shoulder long ago!" Gaston making jabbing motions with his hand as well as a wringing motion. "But I can't even do that!"

"That's nonsense Gaston!" Lefou said before sighing. He then opened his mouth to sing about Gaston's greatness.

_Gosh it disturbs me to see you Gaston_

_Looking so down in the dumps_

_Every guy here's love to be you Gaston_

_Even when taking your lumps_

_There's no man in town as admired as you_

_You're everyone's favorite guy_

_Everyone's awed and inspired by you_

_And it's not very hard to see why…_

Lefou now began dancing as he began to sing but as he backed up, he didn't see where he was going and soon ran into somebody at the door. He stopped singing abruptly and looked to see who he had run into. It was a man who was about medium height wearing all black clothing, a black hood drawn over his head, concealing his face from view. The man, a young man by the sound of it, mumbled a quick apology and went to sit down at one of the only empty tables. Lefou stared at the man for a moment, wondering where he had come from but the man made no move to introduce himself and no one else in the tavern made any move to introduce themselves to him. In fact, the tavern had gone deathly quiet. Lefou quickly ran up to Gaston.

"Gaston, we have an outsider here." Lefou whispered quietly, hurriedly, and altogether fearfully.

"Yes, I can see that Lefou." Gaston said angrily, his chin jutting forward as he grabbed Lefou and moved him aside. Gaston tightened the straps on his boots and left the comfort of his chair, walking up to the man that had just entered and sitting down in the chair opposite him. He tried to discern the features of the man but could perceive nothing. So he decided to adopt a different tactic.

"Hello there." Gaston said amiably, though deep down he was rather angry that this outsider thought he could enter here and be welcome. "So, my name's Gaston, and might I ask exactly what you're doing here?" The man tilted his head a bit but otherwise remained unresponsive. Gaston cleared his throat and clenched his fist as though preparing to punch the man. The man certainly seemed to notice and therefore offered an answer.

"I come here seeking a man named Maurice, perhaps you have heard of him?" the man told the room in a loud enough voice that all could here.

"Maurice, hmmm…" Gaston said, a hand on his chin, thinking.

"Hey, isn't that Belle's father?!" Lefou squeaked out. "That guy's an old loony!" Gaston shot Lefou a look and he quieted down.

"So you do know him?" the man said and Gaston was getting irked by this man's behavior.

"Maybe we do. But why don't you take that hood off and then we can talk." Gaston said but the being opposite him shook his head, saying nothing more. "Look, we don't appreciate outsiders in the village. So if you want to stay here with any sort of hospitality, you'll have to clear it with me!" No one in the tavern refuted that claim, too afraid to challenge either Gaston or the man with whom he was silently quarreling.

"And how exactly do you propose I do that?" he said to him. Gaston smirked, confident of a game he knew he was about to win.

"An arm wrestling match." Gaston said and the man gave a sort of half nod. He then proceeded to prop his arm on the table and hold it there, beckoning a silent invitation. Gaston smiled widely and repeated those same actions, locking his hand with the man's. He examined the arms and saw they were skinny and while the muscles were somewhat toned it still seemed an easy fight. Lefou stood next to the table.

"3…2…1…GO!!" Lefou yelled and Gaston began pushing against the other man's arms and felt as though his arm must have slipped because within half a second his arm was flat on the table. Lefou quickly picked up the slack on behalf of Gaston's defeat. "Best out of three!" The man shrugged and they assumed the position again. But once more were the actions repeated. Gaston was staring wide-eyed at this chain of events. The man stood up. He bowed to Gaston and left the tavern, leaving a man who had lost everything and had now lost his pride.

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"Aww, I don't believe him!" Donald yelled in a room in the East Wing of the castle. "That Sora, thinking he can run off wherever he pleases without even bothering to talk to us!"

"But Donald, that's just the way Sora is." Goofy told him soothingly. "He's always running headfirst into things without a second thought."

"I know…I just worry about him when he goes on his own." Donald said, pacing around the room, his feathers ruffled in a figurative sense. He had been agitated ever since Sora left the castle and though he knew Sora would not be able to contact him, it still worried him greatly. But Goofy took an entirely hopeful view.

"Aw, Donald, I'm sure Sora'll be okay. Remember when Riku told us all about Sora's adventures in that Castle Obblibity…" Goofy started thinking for a moment. "Oblostemy…? No wait, Obliv-Oblivi-"

"OBLIVION!!" Donald yelled as the door to their room creaked open and a slightly plump woman with a young teenage boy walked into the room bowing to them.

"Now, now, dears, no need to fight." Mrs. Potts said to them. "The master kindly requests you dine with him this evening so if you'll come with me." She then led the two members of the Disney Castle Court out of the room and down the hallway. "I must say dears, I'm quite glad to see you again."

"Yeah. When you guys came it really looked like the curse was gonna break and soon after it did." Chip said to them and Donald couldn't help but cheer up a little bit as he proceeded through the glittering halls.

"Well, that's what we heroes are for!" Donald said proudly. No more words were exchanged until the group had at last reached the dining hall. Mrs. Potts motioned them inside and Donald and Goofy entered, sitting down at a table opposite Adam and Belle.

"Since you're here we decided a proper feast is in order." Adam said proudly. "Lumiere did a splendid job in preparing a little entertainment with for us and Mrs. Potts and the kitchen staff worked especially hard in creating the succulent meal."

"We certainly hope you enjoy." Belle said kindly, and Goofy being one to perceive things better than the others noticed she still seemed worried.

"Belle, I'm sure that Sora will be back again real soon after taking care of that Gasty guy!" Goofy said cheerily and Belle smiled at him but Donald jumped out of the seat next to him.

"GASTON!!" Donald yelled. "Wak! We don't have time to sit around! What about Sora?!" Prince Adam got up from his chair and stepped around the table, putting his hands on the ducks shoulders. Donald simmered down a bit.

"Relax Donald, I'm sure Sora can hold until tomorrow. Everything should be fine." Adam told the duck reassuringly and Donald nodded. However, as soon as he did there was a peal of lightning and a crack of thunder. Belle glanced outside and saw that rain was already beginning to fall in a downpour. And the look on her face showed the fear that even her heart filled with light could not conquer. Adam smiled at Donald and walked back to his chair. But in the corner of his mind he couldn't help but think, _If Sora can survive the storm that is to come._

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The next day had dawned dark and dreary, rain still filling the makeshift gutters and beading on the straw thatched buildings that rested in the village. Those who still had daily errands to run in the village such as the green seller and the baker were milling about, darting quickly from house to house, making their rounds. For the most part, people stayed within their homes or holed themselves up in the tavern with Gaston whose dumbfounded dejectedness had now melted into rage and they were attempting to calm him down by reminding him of his past achievements. The only thing that Gaston could remember from his past however, was how Belle fell in love with a beast.

There was only one man that day who had been standing outside in the rain. The very same person who had beaten Gaston in the arm wrestling match last night stood outside the tavern, leaning against the wall opposite the warm and inviting building. Some of the villagers, led by Lefou had decided to go searching for the man in the night but none were able to find him. They had even searched at Maurice's house but he had said the man only stopped by saying something about his daughter before leaving quickly. But Lefou did notice and comment to Gaston that Maurice was packing.

Still the man was odd to the villager and as they said "We don't like what we don't understand, in fact it scares us." But it did not stop them, all of them, from glancing outside the tavern window every few minutes that day to stare at the fellow. As the day went on, the rain seemed to fall harder than ever and the villagers thought there would be no end to the downpour. Some of them had even attempted to make the journey home until they were faced with the biting wind coming from the outside. No one could explain the phenomena, it had never _ever_ been this bad. And that was enough cause to worry.

Granted, the villagers knew it had been getting colder over the past few days, but today was downright frightening and they blamed it on the man outside the window. What the villagers did not realize was that the source of all the misfortune befalling them from the rain came from one of their own. But none of them had the wits to see it and as night at last closed in on them, many began returning home…but Gaston planned to go somewhere else.

"Where are you going Gaston?" Lefou asked quickly, as though to stifle whatever anger there was inside of him.

"You said Maurice was packing Lefou. I say we pay the old man a visit!" Gaston said. He grabbed his gun from the mantle and cocked it. He wasn't planning on using it but a threat would be enough. Lefou followed him happily. As they emerged outside, Gaston held his musket at eye level and scanned for any sign of the man that had been hanging around that day but once more, he was gone. Gaston thumped his chest proudly. "Ha! He wins in an arm wrestling fight but is afraid to face me in a true fight! What a coward!"

"Darn right! You're the best around!" Lefou said and Gaston regained his cocky swagger. The two then proceeded to the outskirts of the village to the small hut that had a water mill whirring beside it and chickens flitting around. Gaston marched straight up to the door as night enveloped the village completely and he banged on it with all his might. There was no answer. Gaston banged again. Still no answer. Then Gaston kicked at the door and it came crashing down.

The house was empty. There was no sign of Maurice or indeed, any sign that he had lived there at all, he was gone. Gaston strode in and examined the room, rage beginning to pulsate within his veins.

"There's no one here Gaston." Lefou told him and Gaston grabbed him by the throat.

"I can see that you imbecile! He must have gone to join Belle with the beast! The foul loathsome little creature. It's time we deal with this monstrosity head on." He held Lefou, whose face was beginning to turn a scarlet hue, up to his face so their eyes were staring straight into each other's. "Go and get the rest of the villagers Lefou and have them meet back here. We'll lay siege to this castle, kill this former beast and take back what's mine!" He dropped Lefou to the ground and Lefou made quick statements agreeing with Gaston before scurrying back to the village.

Gaston meanwhile, stepped back out into the pouring rain and leaned against the house. He knew that only he could have Belle and he would not allow some monster to take her. Then he heard a noise. It was a twitching noise. Faint, but ominous. Gaston raised his gun and cocked it.

"Who's there?!" Gaston yelled, brandishing his gun around. There were more twitching noises and then Gaston's eyes centered on a horrible sight. A dozen pairs of yellow eyes were approaching him, encroaching on the space of the proud hunter. Gaston back up against the wall and pointed his gun at the creatures. He took a shot and one of the pairs of eyes vanished into thick smoke, but soon after another pair took their place. "Back away!" Gaston screamed, reloading his gun and the yellow eyes ceased their movements, backing up. Now Gaston was intrigued. They had heeded his command. He walked around them.

"Attack the fence…" Gaston told the shadows tentatively and they obeyed him. Gaston laughed. What did he need villagers for when he had these creatures?! Then another thought hit him…perhaps he could summon more. He held his hand out, focusing on an image of the creature and more began appearing, and of a different variety. Now his laugh became a billowing cloud. "At last! Prepare yourself Beast! I am coming for what's mine!"

And while Gaston made his triumphant bellow, the hooded man was sprinting away from the cottage where he was hiding back towards the castle. His hood flew off of his head and the spikes protruded forth once more. Heartless began appearing in front of him and he summoned his Keyblade in a display of light, swiping through them, cleaving them into nonexistence as he made his way back, one message stuck firmly in his mind: _the Heartless were invading Beast's Castle_.

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**Author's Note: Whew! There we go! Gaston has control of the Heartless and is going to lead an attack on Beast's Castle. And I'm sure that many of you guessed that the hooded man was Sora in the first place. Well, what's going to happen next? Well, you'll have to read to find out and more importantly, REVIEW!!! Please, I don't want to beg for reviews but my lack of reviews is really quite sad so please review. But I do thank Marine is hope2 for returning. On that note, due to this story's plan to be rather long and having a massive turning point somewhere in the middle I'm calling this one Part I and the title will be displayed as such. In the meantime please check out my newest poll that will determine a future world. Dare to Be Silly.**


	8. Chapter 7: Checking the Restoration

**DISCLAIMER: You know I don't own it. On we go!**

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Chapter 7

Checking the Restoration

"_We wanted to restore Hollow Bastion to what it used to be."_

-Leon concerning the state of Hollow Bastion

While Sora, Donald, and Goofy were dealing with the threat that the Heartless had now placed on Beast's Castle, the other trio of warriors were drifting lazily through space, trying to determine their first course of action. But it seemed to the two female travelers aboard the ship that the king had already planned out their itinerary quite well.

"I say we stop by Radiant Garden first." Mickey told them in the cockpit, pulling up a map through the computer that showed the quadrant of space they were floating through. Kairi and Demora looked at each other. Kairi was the first to speak to the pint-sized king.

"Why there Your Majesty? There are no princesses there." Kairi said to him, confused as to this particular choice. Of course, she would have to agree with it anyway, seeing as he was the king but that didn't mean she would go without full knowledge. Mickey just smiled at her.

"Welp, Radiant Garden has been through lots of trouble and after that battle a year ago they've been tryin' to restore things up to how it was before Terra got there and started messin' everything up." Mickey frowned at the map as though he had a sort of quarrel with it but the frown melted into a smile as he turned back to the two young women in the room with him. "I thought we'd see how they're doing over there. Not to mention, it would give you a chance to meet with your people again, Kairi." Kairi smiled at him and nodded before turning away from her other companions and leaving the room with a whoosh sound. She headed for what was now her room and sat on the bed as soon as she got there, the door closing behind her.

Her head quickly fell into her hands. _Her people?_ Kairi wasn't a queen. She was just a simple girl who had her wedding ruined a few days ago. But what was simple these days? The Keyblade only made things more complicated. Kairi was slightly miffed at Mickey because she felt sure that he knew she had turned down Leon at ruling the world before. She just wanted to be with Sora. But still, she had some innate sense of self-obligation. She flew back and just lay down on her bed. It was the king's decision and if Sora trusted the king, so would she.

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Kairi had fallen asleep on the ride to Radiant Garden and so, two after she had drifted off to the world of dreams there was a small and yet shrill beeping sound of an alarm crying out in her room.

"Just a few more minutes, mom, I can't go to school yet." Kairi mumbled, her voice issue in a muffled manner from her covers. But the alarm, whatever it was to her, would not stop its incessant blaring. And soon a new sound added itself to the cacophony of alarms.

"Kairi, get your butt out here now!" Demora's voice came out over the intercom. Kairi didn't readily recognize it and so Demora yelled louder. "HEY PRINCESS, BEAUTY SLEEP'S OVER, TIME TO MEET YOUR PEOPLE!!!" Kairi screamed loudly and tumbled off her bed, her head hitting itself on the floor. She groaned for a moment, wondering where she was and what had happened. She was glad to see that she was fully clothed; ruling out any possibility that anything freaky had happened. She looked around quickly and managed to notice many things in the room and regain her bearings. The Gummi Ship, that's where she was, which meant that voice was…

"Oh crap!" Kairi yelled and picked herself up, quickly heading outside. She raced through the very narrow corridors of the Gummi Ship to reach the cockpit where both Mickey and Demora were standing looking over the world of Radiant Garden. Kairi quickly set her hair to not look liked it was untamed as she walked up to her companions. "So we're here?"

"Yep! Ready to go?" Mickey asked and Kairi nodded at him. The three of them stepped over to the beaming devices and Mickey flipped up and flicked the speech which sent them down into the Marketplace of Radiant Garden. Kairi looked around and saw that it looked the same as the last time she had come here peacefully, which reminded her: when was the last time she came here peacefully? Mickey walked forward and led the way. Kairi also noticed that all of the people standing in the marketplace were dutifully bowing to him as though _he_ were their revered king. Kairi looked at Demora who raised an eyebrow and shrugged her shoulder. To her assumption King Mickey must have been the most respected ruler in the entire galaxy. But despite the amount of people in their way Mickey still managed to easily forge his way through to the Borough where it now seemed there were no Heartless but actually quite a bunch of people standing around.

Mickey greeted all of them as they bowed to him and Kairi began to feel just a little uncomfortable. She knew nobody was staring at her but they might as well have done so to her. Would this be the way she was respected if she ever became queen? Or would she be hated and vilified to all. Kairi shuddered to even think about it. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked to her right and saw Demora smiling at her.

"Relax, Kairi. You look as flimsy as some of the trees on the islands." Demora said to her, a slight chuckle in her tone. Kairi looked at her and took in a deep breath, exhaling quickly so as to let some of the pressure out. She looked straight ahead to fix her eyes on their target but what she saw was a blue-robed man bending over and talking with the king, his beard flowing down and tickling the small mouse's nose. Mickey laughed only slightly. Kairi wondered for a second who the man was and then suddenly remembered that it was Merlin, or so Sora had told her. To be truthfully honest, even after seven years she had never met the man though she knew Leon, Aerith, Yuffie, and Cid quite well. The two friends seemed to be bantering lightly and happily as Merlin chuckled a bit. Kairi and Demora walked up to the two of them.

"So Sora's out adventuring again?" Merlin asked the tiny mouse as the two females walked up to them. Mickey gabbed out an affirmative. "Interesting. Well, I hope he has time to practice his magic."

"Sora? Practice his magic? The only thing's he's good for are eating and sleeping and occasionally challenging Riku." Kairi chimed out merrily and Merlin turned to face the auburn haired girl. He looked at her inquisitively before she smiled at him and extended her right hand, her engagement ring shining brightly upon it. "Kairi."

"Ah, Princess Kairi of course…splendid to have you here, of course." Merlin said breathlessly before taking her hand and kissing it, his long white beard tickling the back of it. Kairi giggled before Merlin rose her hand into the air and closer to his bespectacled eyes. "Interesting…the moogle's craft on this is phenomenal…engagement ring I suppose?" Kairi nodded happily.

"Well, anyway Merlin, we were hoping to see Leon and the others." Mickey said quickly. Merlin turned to him and stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"Hmmm…well, Cid is inside but Yuffie's taking Aerith's place in going to market. Aerith is with Leon because Mercury won't talk to Leon and so Aerith is the go between for dealing with Tron's embarrassment in Space Paranoids." Merlin answered him.

"What embarrassment?" Demora asked, intrigued.

"Oh, apparently Tron is embarrassed because even computers want to go on dates and Tron doesn't like talking with female users about that subject but he wants to find out what Mercury likes and since she doesn't like talking with male users about this she'll only talk to Aerith since Leon is afraid Yuffie might mess it up. It is all very confusing I must confess."

"Sounds like telephone to me…" Demora mumbled and Kairi giggled at that statement.

"Tele-what?" Merlin asked, surprised at this statement but Demora waved it off so Kairi decided to answer.

"Telephone. It's this game we used to play on the islands as kids where one person would start with a message then it would go through a whole bunch of people until it would get back to the original person who made the message and it would be totally different. Only this is information rather than a message."

"Aww…" Mickey said, confused. "What kind of message?"

"It's a secret." kairi and Demora both said, putting their fingers to their lips. Then all four in the Borough laughed loudly, drawing some looks from the crowd of people wandering around the area.

"Anyway, can ya take us to Leon?" Merlin nodded and motioned the way to the Postern. Mickey and Demora began to move off but Merlin held Kairi back.

"Kairi, if I may, I would greatly appreciate it if after we meet with Leon you would be obliged to practice some magic with me. As rude as this may sound, you look as though your magic capabilities could be sharpened a bit." Kairi put a finger on her chin and thought about it a moment.

"Well, I'm good with healing magic but other than that…yeah, I'd be happy to!" Kairi said cheerfully and Merlin smiled brightly.

"Excellent! Well, let us not keep Leon waiting." Merlin said and the two quickly ran up to Mickey and Demora (well, Merlin just poofed there) and began making their way forward. It took the whole of ten minutes to reach the postern and all the way to Ansem's old study. Demora had wanted to stop and sightsee but agreed there were bigger fish to fry. When they arrived at the study, Merlin waved his wand and the wall to the computer room disappeared. Kairi took a brief look around the room before moving on. She noticed that a painting of Ansem the Wise was now displayed in the study and it seemed that the crew had worked hard to restore the study back to its former condition.

Demora was thrilled as she looked over the glass balcony they were walking on to the manufactory down below. It was a thrill not only to look at it from such a height but also due to the fact that the sheer splendor of the area was something to be marveled at. Still, she didn't have much time to really look and soon the group of four was near the computer where Aerith promptly finished her conversation with Mercury and looked up.

"Your Majesty!" both Leon and Aerith said astonished.

"How ya doin' guys?" Mickey said and the two gave quick answers that said they were okay. Leon looked over and saw Kairi, who could tell he was calculating something in his head.

"Something going on?" Leon asked. The he directed his gaze at Kairi. "Where's Sora?"

"Off somewhere else." Kairi said simply. Aerith gave her a doleful smile before making her own statement.

"I'm sorry we couldn't come to your wedding but we've got a lot going on here." Aerith said and Kairi returned the smile.

"It's okay; wedding got cancelled on account of Heartless." Both Leon and Aerith gave them wide-eyed looks. "That's kinda the reason we're here."

"Yep, we wanted to see how the restoration was going." Mickey said to Leon and Leon brushed some hair out of his eyes.

"Well, with Villain's Vale gone the people don't feel as if there's a looming shadow over them all so more and more people have offered to join the restoration committee and things are progressing smoothly. Unfortunately, though the town is almost fully restored we haven't even begun work on the inside of the castle…that will be just a little more difficult." Leon told the group at large before silence fell between them all before Demora had the courage to pipe up.

"Hey, Your Majesty," Demora began and Mickey turned to look at her with kind eyes. "Since we're here and all, I was wondering if maybe we could stay a day and I could take a look around." Mickey nodded.

"I think that's a great idea Demora!" Mickey chimed out in a brisk manner.

"Splendid! Your Majesty, I'd like to have a few choice words with you." Merlin said to him before facing Kairi promptly. "Kairi, we'll begin training when I get back?"

"Okay." Kairi said and both Merlin and Mickey poofed off the scene. Leon then quickly turned to Aerith.

"Aerith, would you give Demora the grand tour of Radiant Garden?" Leon said and without a word to him she and Demora left the room. Leon rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't understand her."

"Having some problems?" Kairi asked jokingly. Leon scowled a bit and Kairi apologized immediately.

"She's usually fine with me but lately she's been kind of cold, I don't know…it's either something to do with Tron or something to do with Cloud, she'll never let me know." Leon just sighed and Kairi stared at him whimsically before he regained his bearings. "Anyway, Your Majesty-Kairi," Leon corrected himself with a stiff glare from the princess of heart. "Since you are here and His Majesty and Merlin will probably be a while I was wondering if perhaps you would like to take the time to get to know the people."

"I was fearing this might happen." Kairi said to him but he just gave her a warm smile…or at least as warm as the emotionless Leon could get. "I told you I didn't want to rule this world."

"I know that…but what if something does happen. Isn't it just best to be prepared?" Leon told her and she agreed with this wisdom sharply. Leon bowed to her at her acceptance and then Leon led Kairi away from the Postern and back to the Marketplace. Kairi herself had realized just the amount of people in the Marketplace before but now the sense of how many there were was staggering and overwhelming.

"I don't know if I can do this Leon." Kairi said timidly. Leon just gave her a little push.

"You're our princess you'll do fine." Leon said to her sympathetically but Kairi just leaned in and whispered to him:

"And what exactly do I say here?" Kairi said. Leon just shrugged his shoulders to tell Kairi that she was on her own here. Kairi walked forward to an old man with a balding head but wispy white hair still standing on the top of it. She walked up and tapped him on the back. "Excuse me." The man turned around to reveal a grandfatherly sort of face and warm set eyes that radiated in Kairi a glow of confidence.

"Yes, youngster, what do you want?" the old man asked in a snappy tone and Kairi was almost put off from it, but Kairi realized it was merely because she was a stranger that the man sounded like this.

"Hi, my name's Kairi and I-" She had barely gotten her name out when the man quickly took her hand and shook it and also kissed it before an elderly woman came up from behind him and hit him over the head with an edition of the _Radiant Garden Chronicles_.

"Floyd, stop that business that instant." the elderly woman snapped. Kairi saw that she had gray hair and kinder eyes than the old man. But right now her voice was cold as eyes. She shook her finger at Kairi. "You young people, think you can just worm in and take our husbands' hearts and money huh? Well, you won't have it!"

"But Em…" the old man, Floyd began to say but she hit him again with the newspaper. Eventually, the struggling Floyd was able to let out his statement. "Em, this is the Princess Kairi." Em stopped hitting Floyd with the newspaper and looked at Kairi before dropping to her knees and bowing.

"Oh, my apologies milady." Em said to her but Kairi just extended a hand to help her get up and Em took it. "I meant no offense, I had no idea."

"It's okay. I haven't been here very much. I just thought I'd introduce myself to the people." Kairi told them and both Floyd and Emily were happy to help her. The elderly couple took Kairi around the marketplace and Borough introducing her to practically everyone. Kairi had even gotten a small flower to put in her hair from a girl named Melanie and a little boy blushed when she shook his hand, almost fainting on top of his teenage sister who gave Kairi a truly wide smile. The people had only just met Kairi and already loved her. But Kairi had wondered how Floyd and Emily knew all these people.

"Oh, we're part of the Elderly Faction of the Restoration Committee, the head actually so we try to make it our job to know everyone." Emily said to Kairi.

"Yeah, you really helped out a lot with having me know the people." Kairi said, her smile truly stretching across her face.

"Well, you are our princess and perhaps our future queen and the people love you. I'm sure that if you ever ascend to the throne you will be a great queen." Floyd told her warmly.

"Thanks, but I couldn't do it without Sora." Kairi told the elderly couple who looked very fascinated.

"And Sora is your…" Emily began to ask.

"He's my fiancée." Kairi said simply.

"You mean the Sora that Leon talks about all the time…hmmm…that boy is quite brave…a worthy choice Your Majesty." Floyd said to her.

"Oh please, call me Kairi. I hate formalities." Kairi said but then a worried look came over her face. "I just hope Sora's okay." Little did she know that at that moment Sora and Donald were battling for Captain's Chair on their way to Beast's Castle. Still, she wiped the sad look from her face and then asked that Emily and Floyd take her back to Merlin's House where she met with Leon.

"It seemed to go pretty well out there." Leon said and Kairi smiled at him before Demora and Aerith followed in behind them and then both Merlin and Mickey poofed into the room. Kairi looked at Merlin.

"Well then, Kairi, are you ready to begin your magic training?" Merlin asked her.

"I sure am. Where should we practice?" Kairi asked, looking around for a clean space to practice. Merlin was about to wave his wand when suddenly the new teapot on his table, one with patterned blue shells, began to rattle.

"Oh confound it all. That infernal thing causes such a racket." Merlin turned to it and waved his wand at the teapot. The teapot suddenly puffed out white smoke and a spectral image of a lady appeared. "Ah, milady, I had no idea it was you. Ever since I set up the teapot communications system it is very hard to tell who's calling."

"Cut the quiddities Merlin, we have trouble back home. Arthur needs your help. The Heartless are invading and I could only guess that _she_ is involved." the lady, or rather a spectral image of a lady, said to him.

"Her?" Merlin asked incredulously. "Does she never give up? All right, I'm on my way." Then the teapot stopped rattling and the image disappeared.

"What's going on Merlin?" Mickey asked and Merlin sighed deeply.

"There's problems in Medieval England, my home world. Your Majesty, I might need your help in this." Merlin told the mouse king.

"Then we're coming too." Demora and Kairi said together. Merlin nodded.

"All right then, I'll have us there in a jiffy! I'll transport the Gummi Ship there as well. Let's go!" He waved his wand and suddenly the four were poofed away to a world that Kairi had never seen.

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**Author's Note: Yeah, sorry, but no Donald and Goofy or Sora. Yes, they are going to go to **_**The Sword in the Stone **_**world, but first I think we'll finish up in Beast's Castle next chapter with that titanic battle. What did you think of the mention of telephone? Come on, who doesn't remember playing that game. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter but please review or I may have to cease and desist this story despite its funness of writing (yes, I made that up). In the meantime, vote on my poll and until next time, Dare to Be Silly.**


	9. Chapter 8: Battle Like a Beast

**DISCLAIMER: I, in no way, own this stuff so please don't ask me to say I do…I may just run off an play my own copy of KH II to feel as though I do.**

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Chapter 8

Battle Like a Beast

"_I've come to take something you hold very dear."_

-Xaldin to the Beast

"Wak! The Heartless are coming here?!" Donald exclaimed in front of the sopping wet Sora as they all congregated in the Entrance Hall of the castle. Sora had just finished quickly relating to them the tale of what had occurred in the village and of Gaston's great new fighting force that was planning on taking the castle by storm. When Adam had heard this he instantly began pacing around nervously. Donald however, was ready for a fight. "Well, we'll see how they handle my magic!"

"Gawrsh, so this Gasty guy has all these Heartless under his control…" Goofy said thoughtfully. "But how do we stop them?"

"How else? Use the Keyblade!" Sora said, summoning his Keyblade forth and letting it glint in the light of the entrance hall. Goofy stared at the Keyblade for a moment.

"But what if Maleficent's trying to get Kingdom Hearts again, we can't have you using the Keyblade to feed in hearts." Goofy said in a concerned tone that gave Sora enough reason to pause. Unfortunately, it didn't give Donald any reason whatsoever.

"That doesn't matter! What matters is that the Heartless are coming!!" Donald yelled, his hat jumping off of his head and into the air. "Besides, Belle hasn't been taking by Maleficent yet so we're okay!"

"Donald's right, Goofy." Sora told his dog-like friend with a glint in his blue eyes. "I mean, not that I think Maleficent could even take Belle on seeing as how he beat back Xaldin…but if Maleficent is causing trouble and hasn't gone for this princess yet then I can only assume that she's not going for Kingdom Hearts yet…still…" Sora was about to go on but at this moment Adam cut across him fluidly.

"How many and when?" Adam said sharply, a small amount of fear playing into his voice replacing the confidence Sora had heard in him seven years ago.

"Quite a bit. Gaston figured out how to control the Heartless and create more in the meantime and that's bad news for everyone…I mean, if he figures out how to make a _bigger_ Heartless, just imagine all the trouble were in then." Sora said thoughtfully. He didn't want to imagine fighting a Heartless that was the size of Gaston's ego…that would have been massive and he shuddered at the thought of it. Then Sora remembered the second part of Adam's question. "As for when they're coming I'd say it's soon. I don't think that Gaston can move as fast as I do and I left as soon as he started whipping out Heartless."

"Well that should give us a little more time." Goofy said cheerily, as though rejoicing that they would have an extra ten minutes to get ready to fight the Heartless. But no sooner had Goofy said that than the statues on the sides of the walls and pillars surrounding them suddenly twisted and transformed into gargoyles, breaking apart from the wall, axe and sword complete.

"Out of time!" Sora said. He brandished his Keyblade and leapt forward, his Keyblade cutting through one of the incoming Heartless like butter.

"How did they get in here?!!!" Donald screamed in frustration as he whipped out his staff and Goofy took his shield off his back and threw it at a Heartless. Sora took no heed of Donald's jabbering and cocked his head toward Adam, Belle, Cogsworth, Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, Chip, and the others that had joined them when Sora had arrived again. He was glad Maurice wasn't there and had already gone to his room since Sora had told him to leave. It would have been harder to move an older man.

"Adam, get Belle and the others someplace safe! We'll back you guys up! Just go!" Sora yelled. Adam nodded at him and took Belle by the hand, helping up the stairs. Sora saw them turn west and go into the West Hall of the castle. Sora spun around and his Keyblade sliced through another gargoyle monster before he heard Donald screeching at him and he looked up. A Gargoyle Knight came hurtling down from the ceiling at Sora. Sora quickly reacted and blocked the sharp sword from hitting him with his Keyblade. The Gargoyle Knight was caught off guard and fell onto the ground, sitting there idly. Sora smirked. He held his Keyblade at the figure and turned it like you would a key. The shadow inside the figure then flew out and the statue itself broke apart. But the Gargoyles were closing in on them. Clearly, Gaston had already sent out the advance party. Soon, Sora, Donald, and Goofy were surrounded.

"Gawrsh Sora, we're surrounded!" Goofy yelled loudly. "What do we do?"

"We need to get out of here." Sora stated simply, thinking quickly for a way out of this mess.

"I'll use my magic!" Donald yelled and he raised his staff into the air. "THUNDER!!!" Bolts of lighting rained down from the sky…or ceiling…and hit the Gargoyles, but it merely glanced off them, dealing no damage to their exterior surface.

"Donald, magic doesn't work on these guys remember!" Sora yelled and then the idea hit Sora. "We have to use Trinity you guys!" Donald and Goofy nodded at him and all three of them, including Goofy, summoned energy into their weapons, touching their tips together. The combined mass of energy from the weapons formed a nimbus that swirled at the combination of their tips and drew in all the Heartless in the Entrance Hall. Sora nodded to his friends and all three of them pulled away, breaking the energy chain in a flash of light that obliterated the remaining Heartless. Sora's shoulders sagged a little, tired from the amount of energy it had expended, though not nearly as much as if he had done it on his own.

"What now, Sora?" Donald asked worriedly of his companion.

"They'll be back. That was only the beginning. For now we have to make sure the others got to safety. Let's head for the West Wing!" Sora said loudly and the three quickly took off and Sora knew he was right for as they placed a foot on the stairs the door began to bang loudly and the entrance hall shuddered. All three of the friends turned their heads slowly to look at the door from which dust was now falling above it.

"Sounds like he brought something big…" Goofy said with such concern that Sora's eyes grew wide.

"Let's go!" Sora yelled and he pushed his friends up the stairs. They ran hurriedly, turning left at the first chance and darting into the West Hall. Heartless began materializing behind them at a quick rate but Sora didn't stop to glance or look. Donald and Goofy knew exactly where to go and quickly banged open the door to the West Wing. Sora followed straight after them and turned around as the door shut. He briefly saw Hammer Frames approaching the door as it closed itself and Sora pointed his Keyblade at the door. "Remember to always lock the door behind you. Don't want any bad guys breaking in." A beam of light shot out of his Keyblade and locked the door, sealing it tight from invasion for the moment and given them much more needed time to escape.

"Hurry!" Donald yelled and the trio sprinted quickly to Adam's Room. They banged their way through the doors and saw Adam standing there all alone. "Where's Belle?" Donald squawked out at him and Adam lightly tapped his foot on the floor, indicating a hidden room beneath. Sora nodded his head and let out a small sigh of relief.

"What do we do now Sora?" Goofy asked his friend and Sora had the answer ready for him.

"We fight!" Sora screamed in a triumphant voice while assuming a rigid posture that Donald soon emulated.

"What's the point?" said Adam and they all turned to him in shock. "Come on, I mean, I can't fight like I used to be able to…and Gaston has the Heartless on his side."

"Are you kidding?!" Sora asked. "What happened to your courage?! Gaston is coming to take Belle! He'll take that away from you." Adam just looked down dejectedly and Sora decided on using a different tactic. "Look, Adam, you my not have fearsome claws to rip through other people's flesh but are you really gonna just give up _now_? Losing something is bad, but that's not nearly as bad as losing it and having to watch someone else keep what you lost."

"Sora's right, ya know." Goofy told Adam with a smile.

"For once…" Donald muttered out and despite the fact that Sora assumed a small scowl it had appeared he didn't hear a word Donald had said at all.

"Belle's done so much for you, hasn't she? Can't you at least protect her from this guy? Come on Adam!" Sora yelled so loudly that it snapped Adam out of his reverie. He picked his head up and turned towards Sora, a new manic gleam appearing in his eyes.

"Remember Sora, this castle belongs to me. And I'm going to keep Gaston out!" Adam yelled and he walked over to the wardrobe that was sitting in the room. He opened it with a snap and drew out a long thin case and snapped it open revealing a shining sword and saber with an elegant hilt. He drew the sword from its sheathe and brandished it a bit. "I may not have claws but I can still fight."

"That's the guy I remember!" Sora yelled. Then there was another shudder as it seemed the door to the West Wing was at last broken open. "Great, we gotta hurry."

"All right then, I've got a plan Sora." Adam said and all of them leant in to listen.

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"Break it down, quickly!" Gaston yelled to the Hammer Frames surrounding him as they pounded on the final door before him and this beast. Soon it would all be over and Belle would be his. This prince didn't stand a chance. There was no doubt that the man couldn't fight. No man could possibly stand up against Gaston. At last the door gave way and Gaston strode boldly into Adam's room. He dismissed the Heartless as he walked; he didn't need them to take on this coward. He looked straight ahead and saw the prince sitting there on a chair, staring down at the floor. Gaston laughed triumphantly. "Too afraid to fight back you wretched creature!" Gaston picked up Adam, who didn't struggle and hurriedly threw him out the window.

Adam fell to the ground as the rain washed over him and soiled his fine clothing that he now usually wore. Gaston leapt out of the window and kicked him. Adam grunted in pain as the boot came into contact with his stomach. He rolled along the bridges that spanned the top of his castle and Gaston followed him and gave him more jabs with his boot. Soon Adam was at the edge, teetering over the courtyard of the castle.

"What's wrong you foul creature?!" Gaston yelled loudly and proudly. "Can't fight back? Too weak are you! What could Belle see in a creature like you?" Gaston quickly took the bow that was attached to his back and strung his arrow, pointing it at Adam's house. "Let's see how well you take pain."

"Then how about you!" a voice yelled out and Gaston only briefly saw three shadows fall behind him before he himself was tripped, lost balance, and fell close to the edge. Adam quickly leapt up and unsheathed his sword again, pointing it at Gaston's neck. Sora, Donald, and Goofy flanked him and Gaston's eyes widened in fear.

"Please don't hurt me. I'll do anything! Just let me go." Gaston jabbered out quickly. Sora looked at him doubtfully but Adam was willing to give the man a second chance. He took his sword away from Gaston where it was close to pricking the man's neck and he sheathed it.

"Leave here, with your Heartless, and never return." Adam said, a snarl creeping into his voice. Gaston nodded quickly so as to emphasize his fear and all four of them turned away from the pitiful man. But Gaston has other ideas. He leapt up, drawing a knife from hi belt and took a jab at Adam. But Sora had expected as much and quickly summoned his Keyblade, knocking the knife out of his hand before twisting around in mid-air and extending his leg out, kicking Gaston off the edge of the tower. And Gaston fell, letting out an ear-splitting scream as he did so. The other three even turned around to watch him sink into the crushing black oblivion.

"Whew, that was close!" Donald said. Adam nodded at Sora gratefully who smiled.

"Ya think he's gone?" Goofy asked and the other three looked at him inquisitively.

"Of course he's gone ya big palooka!" Donald yelled. Of course, no sooner had Donald said that when there was a huge screech from below and a rush of wind that sounded like the beating of wings. They all quickly looked below to see Gaston coming up quickly, riding on the back of a Heartless that Sora had never seen before. At first glance to Sora it seemed to be a horse, with similar features of a gargoyle. But there was no man on it, save for Gaston who had strung his blow. But Sora did notice a pike sticking out from the side of the Heartless and of course, Sora noticed the wings sticking out of it that clearly allowed it to fly.

The Heartless screeched loudly again as Gaston chortled. He then yelled a command and the Heartless, known as the Gargoyle Calvary, dove at the group. Sora rolled along the ground and out of the way as his companions dodged the attack and took out their weapons. Donald aimed carefully and let off a fire projectile. The first one missed but the second one hit its target. But like its brethren, it just got deflected away. Gaston wheeled the Heartless around and it dove at them again, aiming specifically for Adam. Adam braced himself, his legs apart and his sword in front of him. When it was within a few feet of him, Adam side-stepped the creature and lashed out with his sword, cutting it on the head. A small gash opened and darkness seeped out of it. The Heartless howled loudly but soon the wound seamed itself up and no more darkness poured forth.

Once more Gaston deftly turned the Heartless around in midair and aimed it at Adam. But this time Sora jumped in the way of it and the horn that was on the creatures head caught his shirt and dragged him along with it. Sora struck the creature's underbelly with his Keyblade and the Gargoyle Calvary reeled and threatened to buck off its master. Gaston quickly got it under control and before Sora could try anything more he nocked an arrow and let it fly, piercing Sora's shoulder. Sour grunted in pain and quickly let go of the Gargoyle Calvary. He fell to the ground and landed with a thud, rapidly sitting up. Donald ran up to him.

"Sora!" Donald yelled and the arrow flew out of his shoulder and the wound disappeared. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine! But how do we beat that thing?" Sora yelled out. Sora thought quickly as the Gargoyle Calvary took another dive at Adam who once more tried to side step it but this time wasn't so lucky. The Heartless caught him and Gaston prepared his arrow.

"Gawrsh Sora, I have an idea!" Goofy said and Sora demanded that he quickly say what it is. "It's like that Clayton guy in Deep Jungle! Maybe we gotta knock Gaston off that thing first and it will make the battle a lot easier."

"Great idea Goofy!" Sora yelled and he held his Keyblade in front of him. "Sever!" A bright light flew from the tip of his Keyblade and seemed to spiral out in the shape of a scythe. It his the Gargoyle Calvary's horn and sheared it straight off with an enormous display of force. Adam fell from the height that the Heartless was at and both Sora and Donald used magic to lower him back down to the ground safely.

"You all right Adam?" Sora said, running up to his friend. Adam nodded. "We have an idea on how to stop Gaston but we'll need to work together…remember how we got Xaldin out before?"

"I think I know exactly what you mean." Adam said, a small smile playing his face and the glint reappearing in his eyes. Both of them held their blades out in front of you and rushed at the charging Heartless. As it attempted to bowl them over they both dodged to the side and swung their blades at the Heartless, striking the body of the Heartless. The pain that it induced gave enough time for it to pause and Sora gave a glance to Goofy. Goofy reared back and threw his shield at the unsuspecting Gaston. As the shield flew closer, Sora leapt into the air and kicked the shield at Gaston to give it even more force. Sure enough, the shield hit its mark and Gaston began to topple from the saddle, only to be completed when Adam grabbed him and pulled him out.

But the Heartless wasn't going to go down, even without its master perched on its saddle. He galloped off and flew into the air again, circling around and diving straight at Sora this time. Sora braced himself and ducked as it flew overhead, sliding underneath and making a corkscrew motion straight up, his Keyblade driving deep into the Heartless and at last fatally wounding it. With his Keyblade now driven into the creature he used his strength to fling the Gargoyle Calvary off the tower. Adam soon did the same with Gaston, only kicking him off instead. Gaston screamed, but still believed that he could create another Heartless.

But this time, Gaston had no such luck. He contorted his body in the air so he was facing down and held his hand out. But the Gargoyle Calvary he had fought with before had other ideas. Weakening in its strength it decided to consume Gaston's heart to give it more power. And as it devoured the poor hunter's heart it also disappeared, not garnering enough strength for its continued existence. From the top of the tower, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Adam saw this and sighed to themselves as at last the rain ceased and the clouds moved away showing a clear beautiful night with a beautiful moon shining down. Sora instinctively brought his hand up to his hair and started straightening his spikes out that had gotten matted down from the rain during the fight. He then did a quick look around and noticed that the castle had once more gained its luminescent low and the Heartless had once more disappeared.

"Well, that takes care of that." Sora said, smiling at his companions before Adam gasped.

"Belle!" Adam cried and he ran back to his room, the other three hot on his heels. Adam picked up the carpet on hi room and revealed the trap door, opening it quickly and allowing all of those who had been with him to climb out. "Oh, I'm glad you're safe." The two embraced each other in happiness.

"What happened to Gaston?" Belle asked the room at large.

"Gone…the Heartless devoured his heart…just like Clayton." Sora said thoughtfully. "Well, you guys should be all right now. Belle's safe and we gotta get back to looking for the other princesses.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" Belle asked. "You've helped us so much and now that my father is here safe and sound we really should reward you."

"There's no need." Sora said, waving his hand through the air to indicate that there was no need for any of that. Donald on the other hand, had very different ideas.

"Well…" Donald began, thinking of any of the possible ways to be rewarded, most of them involving treasure.

"Donald!" Sora and Goofy yelled and the whole entire room laughed before Sora stuck his Keyblade in the air and all three of them were beamed aboard the Gummi Ship.

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The darkened room was glowing with a green light as the final footage of what had taken place in Beast's Castle finished playing. All of the audience "ooohed" appropriately when the Gargoyle Calvary Heartless had at last devoured Gaston's heart. Then the green light disappeared and the room brightened though not by much.

"But what, might I ask, brought them there?" Royal Pain asked of Maleficent, intrigued by the appearance of Heartless on that particular world. "We did not bring them there, so how?"

"The hunter." Maleficent responded. "He was consumed by anger and jealousy that what had once been a poor, hideous beast had taken Belle as his own. That is what drives the Heartless. Those feelings led him deep into the darkness and consumed him."

"What does it matter?" the Horned King said angrily. "The Keyblade Master is a problem, in fact, he's _the_ problem. Why not deal with him first Maleficent?"

"All in good time, we must move our plans along before we strike at his very heart!" Maleficent let off a high pitched cackle and was just getting into the flow of it before Pete cut across her.

"But what about the princesses?" Pete asked. "I mean, why aren't we going after them yet?" Maleficent smiled at him devilishly and Pete recoiled slightly, not realizing that he had actually asked, for once, a smart question.

"I've revised my former plan…break the worlds and they will be powerless to stop me from gaining the power of Kingdom Hearts. We'll start with the boy." Maleficent said and all the members that were in the room nodded thoughtfully. Then Morgana seemed to notice something.

"Well, the boy is a problem…off hunting your little courier of Heartless. But why him?" Morgana said. "And where is Mim in all of this, she should be here."

"Hmm…that boy is the light of this world…he bears a burden I think none could foresee except for me. As for Mim, well…I told her not to take the King of Disney Castle, lightly." Maleficent said with a scowl that deepened as she said it. But the Horned King did not take lightly to the change of subject.

"But what of the Keyblade Master, how do we deal with him?" the Horned King said. Maleficent looked at him.

"I already have a plan in mind that will wipe out both him and that pestilential, meddling fool. It seems that I had not crushed as many ants as I had originally thought. No matter, in time all will be fine. All the pieces are falling into place, and in our favor." And she let off an extremely high pitched cackle as the room delved into darkness once again.

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Author's Note: Well, there's the conclusion of Beast's Castle and Maleficent's words should key you in as to what I'll be covering in the next two chapters. Of course there are lots of questions I have not yet answered but the main question is, in the words of the ignoble Captain Hook "Just what is Maleficent planning anyway?" But if you stick around, I guarantee you'll find out. Anyway, in the meantime, please review on what you thought of my battle, vote on my poll, and a special thanks to Lord Moldybutt for reviewing my first story so well (and noticing the transplanted line from

_**The Dark Knight**_**). Until next time, Dare to Be Silly.**


	10. Chapter 9: Legend of the Sword

**DISCLAIMER: No use saying it now.**

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Chapter 9

The Legend of the Sword

"_Never let your guard down."_

-Yen Sid to Sora, Donald, and Goofy

The green grasses of Medieval England whispered softly and quietly as a gentle breeze blew through the stalks of grass that lay sitting there. They rippled the surface of the lakes and the plains that stretched out in front of the great castle in the area. For many years this place had not seen disturbances whatsoever and was as peaceful as could be…save for two teensy weensy little things. And the first of those things was situated in an old forest by the lake. A woman, a hag really, dressed in purple and pink was dancing around through the woods flicking her finger at some trees that stood in her way. The trees, which vanished in puffs of pink smoke, suddenly came out in black and snarling shapes that seemed very similar to a vicious dog, the Mastiff Heartless. Mim cackled cheerily as she wound her way through the forest, turning trees into Heartless.

"A little bit here and a little bit there!" Mim said loudly before snapping her fingers at a rather large oak tree, transforming it into yet another Heartless, that was bigger than most of the others that came before it. "Oh let's see how Arthur likes this one! If it wasn't for that old codger Merlin I would be sitting in his little throne right now…" Mim mumbled dolefully to herself. And she continued to mumble like this past that sentence…she wasn't exactly fond of the new king and his teacher. "The wizened fool…Ha, 'wizened', I make myself laugh."

But then the wind changed, a little lighter on the air than it had been before. Mim sensed it immediately and turned sharply in the direction from which this new wind was blowing. She scowled deeply for she knew why the wind had changed: Merlin and those pestilential fools were here. She chuckled sourly to herself as though other people were listening but she was only talking to herself. Of course, she should have realized that the wretched Lady of the Water had been watching her this whole time like a hawk and had reported to Merlin. And, of course, no doubt Merlin had wasted no time in bringing along some of those Keyblade Master friends of his. Well, there was no use in wasting time now. She wanted a full party of Heartless to lay siege to the wretched castle. She whirled her hand around in the air and the rest of the surrounding clump of trees disappeared in a mighty puff of pink smoke, leaving behind the final batch of Heartless she had been working for.

"Well, here we go, like it or not. Today…or tomorrow, Madam Mim will become known as Queen Mim!" She cackled loudly and then allowed both her and her Heartless to disappear in a great rush of pink smoke.

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The grasses rippled once again but this time it was not with the wind as a white smoke appeared in the area and soon faded away to reveal four travelers. One an old man in blue robe with a long white beard, another was a small mouse being a king from another world, and the final two being young females albeit one was much older than the other. Merlin and his party had at last arrived in the area, but unlike Madam Mim they were much closer to the castle. In fact, Merlin's first order of business was to check up on Arthur. Kairi look up at the castle and gave it an approving nod. Demora, however, leaned in closer to her.

"Have you been here before Kairi?" Demora asked her, eager to know what she could about the world. But Kairi just shook her head at Demora and smiled.

"Nope…I've never been here once." Kairi said and Demora's shoulders sagged. She let out a sigh as Kairi herself turned toward Merlin.

"What is there to know about this world? I mean, it would be a _little_ important to find these things out now." Kairi asked him, a slight tone of humor filling the vibrations of her voice. Merlin stroked his beard and gave a small chuckle and somehow, Kairi knew that Merlin wasn't going to tell them a thing. "Your Majesty?" The small king shook his head, indicating that though he was the king of Disney Castle, he didn't quite know everything.

"Come on now!" Merlin stated boldly. "We must get to the castle and speak with Arthur to find out what that lecherous woman is up to." Merlin then strode away from them and towards the gate of the castle, his blue robe billowing in the winds behind him. The three companions looked at each other and then decided to follow him post-haste. But Kairi had a question for Mickey in order to clear things up.

"Your Majesty, if you've never been here before, how do you know Merlin in the first place?" Kairi asked, lines of slight worry etched into her face. "I mean…that is of course, assuming you knew him before Radiant Garden and all that stuff."

"Well of course I knew him, Kairi!" Mickey exclaimed loudly. "I was the one who asked him to train Sora in the art of magic in the first place…well, since Master Yen Sid was kinda busy at the time." Mickey put his hand underneath his chin and thought a bit as they walked. Kairi didn't press him for more details since she knew he'd tell them sooner or later. Sure enough, as they got within a stone's throw distance of the gate Mickey opened up once more. "Merlin apparently trained the king here himself, at the time I wasn't king yet but my father was. That was about eighteen years ago…right before the Heartless invasion, my father died that year and I took the throne and Merlin came to me offering his services. He was a great friend of Master Yen Sid and so offered to help with whatever I needed his magic for."

"So, you didn't know him at the time he knew Mim, right?" Demoa asked him, now completely intrigued by these facts. Mickey shook his head. "Hmm, that's too bad, cause I thought you might know a secret weakness of hers or something like that." Demora was all prepared after that to start thinking aloud about Mim's weakness but Kairi asked the king another completely unrelated question.

"So, your father was king before you?" Kairi mused. "Sora told me that he went into the past of your castle, meaning before it was built. What about then?" Mickey gave her a smile.

"Well, as Sora knows, I was workin' on Pete's boat at the time. My father was always the one dealing with these things and to tell ya the truth, I was always slackin' off. When the castle was finally built about twenty five years ago, I was fifteen, my father pretty much got me into shape to be the king and I changed my act." Mickey said and the two girls paused for a moment, reeling slightly from the overload of information and dates that was being thrown at them. Mickey just chuckled. "Aww, I'm sorry gals, I didn't realize it was kind of confusin."

"It's okay Your Majesty, we understand-" Demora began to say but the voice of Merlin cut her off.

"Come now all of you, we've no time to waste." Merlin said and he turned to the gates. He waved his hand and the guards who were aiming at Merlin's head had their crossbows fly out of their hands and the gate opened before the group. Merlin bowed to the three of them and they walked in through the gates, looks of approval displaying themselves. Merlin was the last to enter in and he waved his hands again and the gates closed. But no sooner had Merlin done that than a horde of soldiers rushed up to them.

"Hark! Who are you that dare defiles that realm of Camelot?" said a rather stunning figure at the head of the column. "We soldiers of England will not allow beggars such as thee to enter into our realm and harm our most noble King Arthur, wielder of Excalibur, and ruler of this land." His sword was extended at the three companions but neither one of them shied away from the glinting blade, but rather glared coldly at the soldier who had spoken to them. Merlin soon pushed his own way through.

"Oh put that toy sword away Lancelot!" Merlin said loudly and he waved his hand around, manipulating the sword around and sticking it back in its sheathe. The man, Lancelot, backed away from the figure of Merlin not noticing who it was at first. "You soldiers, always thinking with your stabbing instruments of pain, never giving a moment's thought that swords might be no use against magicians. I should turn your shiny black hair to a gray wizened flock!"

Behind Merlin, Demora and Kairi were giggling fiercely. From the sound of Merlin's words, it appeared to them that Lancelot probably believed himself to be a suave, dashing, and debonair man who believed that any woman would fall for his charms. Of course, those two were not fazed by his good looks in the slightest, both of them having somebody very important to them. Kairi chanced a glance at King Mickey and saw him standing there with a very confused look on his face as though still trying to figure out why Kairi and Demora were laughing. This made Kairi giggle even harder. Ahead of them however, Merlin pushed past the giggling noise and made his point known to Lancelot.

"It's Merlin you thick-headed fool!" Merlin said and Lancelot suddenly bowed in reverence. Merlin waved it away. "Get up! We wish to have an audience with Arthur at this exact moment." Lancelot stood up hurriedly and shuffled his feet around.

"I'm afraid I cannot grant this request, Arthur is having a meeting with his Knights of the Round Table, of which I'll be attending," He had said this very proudly and with a glint in his eyes and teeth. "and will be unfortunately occupied until tomorrow."

"Oh is he now?" Merlin said in a tone bordering on menacing. "Well, Lancelot du Lac, though son of the Lady you may be, I am the wizard here and how would you like to be turned into a newt?" Lancelot took a step back, frightened at the proposition.

"A…a newt?!" Lancelot said and then reconsidered his priorities. "Right this way, Sir Merlin." Lancelot then dismissed his soldiers and began to lead the four comrades through the halls of Camelot. Both Kairi and Demora were rather stunned by the architecture, tapestries and paintings on the walls having only been in both Disney Castle and Radiant Garden. To them, this new castle was nothing short of magnificent on the inside. While it was, of course, nothing too fancy on the outside, the inside almost made Kairi consider becoming queen. But she chuckled to herself, thinking it was a foolish reason for wanting to become queen. After five minutes of walking through the halls they at last arrived outside a wide oak door. Lancelot knocked on the door three times, spaced evenly apart and the doors opened to a wide throne room.

"You stand before His Royal Majesty of the realm of Camelot, King Arthur!" Lancelot proclaimed and all four of the party there bowed to the man who was standing. Both Kairi and Demora raised their heads first to get a good look at the man who was standing before them. He was dressed in a marvelous red robe that was lush and deep and certainly signified that he was a man of high stature. He had blonde hair that was beginning to gray slightly from the exhaustion of being the ruling king. And seated atop that hair was a golden crown, signifying that he was king. He looked over as Lancelot announced their presence and gasped.

"Merlin!" He yelled out and he ran over to the blue robed magician and gave him a hug. Merlin just muttered for Arthur to get off and after Arthur did so he did not return the gesture. "Merlin, what are you doing back here? Who are these three?" Merlin quickly cleared his throat.

"This is Her Royal Highness Princess Kairi of Radiant Garden, His Royal Majesty King Mickey of Disney Castle and their companion Demora Suwara of Destiny Islands." Merlin said, introducing each of his allies. "Now, as for the reason we are here, it is to deal with the threat of the Heartless that has been placed on this world." Arthur stiffened immediately and his eyes quickly scanned the room. He then quickly ordered everybody, even Lancelot, out of the room making sure that the doors were firmly shut behind them. Arthur motioned to the group to be silent for a moment and follow them up to his throne. He soon collapsed in it.

"Oh Merlin, I'm stretched to my wits end. I've received scouting reports about an army of these, what were they, Heartless? Anyway, they're massing in forests that surround the castle and we've no idea what's causing it. Meanwhile, my court wants me to find a wife."

"Well, you're a king, that shouldn't be too hard!" Demora said plainly and Arthur snapped a look at her. Kairi quickly jumped and covered Demora's mouth. She smiled at Arthur.

"Forgive my friend's indiscretion, she meant no harm." Kairi told him before her face rounded on Demora. "It's just that _some_ people don't understand _everything_ about life and love." Demora gave Kairi a sheepish look and Kairi backed off. Arthur didn't say anything at the moment but merely shook his head.

"No, she's right. I have no trouble finding people who want to be my bride but there's only one woman who could be queen in my eyes." Arthur said, a small sigh parting from his lips and Merlin rolled his eyes.

"Are you still on about Guinevere?" Merlin asked disbelievingly.

"Yes it is!" Arthur announced loudly and with confidence and once more, Demora and Kairi giggled. "She's perfect for me and for this kingdom!"

"I've told you that woman is no good, Arthur, you had better find yourself someone else to be your queen." Merlin said, trying to reason with the king of Camelot.

"Ah, but Merlin…" Arthur began to say and Kairi knew he was going to list off the wonderful things about her but Merlin cut him off straight away.

"Oh, you do what you want Arthur." Merlin said before stroking his beard. "Meanwhile, we have much more important matters to attend to than dealing with you courting Guinevere. Mim is back!"

"Surely not!" Arthur said, flinging out of his stupor and nearly out of his chair at the same time. "I thought that hag was long since dead."

"Yes, well, our enemy Maleficent seems to have brought her back and we need to hunt her down. We defeat Mim and the Heartless should stop popping up, effectively solving that problem. Do you have any idea where she might be?" Merlin said, hoping to glean any information out of the king. Arthur shook his head and Merlin's shoulders sagged. "Well, either way, we'll start searching tomorrow. There're some things I want to take care of before we go looking for Mim."

"Are you sure you can't help me with my other…eh, predicament?" Arthur asked sheepishly and Merlin eyes him carefully, but it was Mickey who spoke up first.

"We would help in a heartbeat if we didn't have so many dangers that needed taking care of." Mickey responded to the other king in the room. "So, I'm sorry, but taking care of Madam Mim comes first."

"Oh, come on Your Majesty!" both Kairi and Demora simultaneously complained to the tiny mouse king. Mickey jumped back a little at this outburst and looked at the two girls. Kairi stood up straight and seemed to understand the look that Mickey was now giving them.

"Well, Your Majesty, both me and Demora are girls and so is Guinevere so we _could_ help Arthur with his situation while both you and Merlin go off and search for Madam Mim. That kind of tackles two birds with one stone." Kairi explained and Mickey was at a loss for words, looking to Merlin for support. Merlin sighed and threw his arms into the air.

"Very well, I'm sure the King and I can take on Mim, depending on what enhancements Maleficent might have given her." Merlin said. "Well, if that's all settled, Arthur, you had best tell them the legend of why you're king while I attend to some errands and start tracking down Mim." He then turned away and began to stride out of the hall but before he reached the door where he planned to poof away, he turned to the group again. "Kairi, if you may, when I return for dinner, shall we practice your magic?"

"Sure thing, Merlin!" Kairi said cheerily. Merlin nodded at her and then poofed away as Arthur cleared his throat. Kairi turned to him and saw him motion to sit in the chairs in the hall. All three of them took the cue and sat before Kairi spoke first to Arthur. "So what is this legend exactly?"

"Oh, Merlin always makes it out to be more than it really is." Arthur said, chuckling a bit as he said so. "You see, I had grown up not knowing where I was from or who my real family was. My name at the time was Wart you see and I had to help my supposed brother in all of his jousting tournaments and other such stuff. Now, during one of these tournaments my brother lost his sword so I had to go find him one. I ran to this old stone where a sword was sticking out of it and I pulled it out. How was I to know that the one who pulled the sword out of that stone was destined to be king of England. Either way, from that day forward I faced opposition trained under Merlin and I even saw him have a duel with Madam Mim which he inevitably won." From there on, Arthur continued to tell his tale and all three, including King Mickey, were enraptured by the tale that expanded to involve dealings with the Lady of the Lake and the mighty sword Excalibur, all the way to today's times. This followed until at last the dinner bell rang and the servants of the castle congregated in the hall and set up a mighty table fit for all the people there to feast. It was at this moment that Merlin poofed back into the room.

"Well, Your Majesty, I found Mim…" Merlin muttered out with distaste. "She seems to know that we are indeed here in this world but I don't think she detected that I found her…off being as crazy as a mad hatter. Ah dinner at last!" Merlin quickly sat down as the food just finished cooling off on the table. Merlin tucked his beard in and began to ate ravenously. In fact, all of the members at the table ate ravenously as though they hadn't eaten in days; but the fact was that in fact the food was quite tasty to them. When at last the last dish was clear, Merlin cleared the table away with a wave of his wand to prepare for the training between him and Kairi. Arthur excused himself from the room and Demora, being an astute girl, discerned that he was going after Guinevere and made to follow him. Therefore, it was only Mickey who was left in the hall to watch the training between the two.

"Now, Kairi," Merlin began, drawing his wand forth from the sleeves of his robes. "Has Sora taught you any of the particulars of magic?"

"He taught me mostly about the nature of magic and I learn the Cure, Aero, and Reflect spells." Kairi said to him, summoning her Keyblade forth with little to no effort at all.

"So then…I can conjecture you know little of black magic or any other than white magic…" Marlin said and Kairi looked at him confusedly. Merlin chuckled. "I thought not…what you have most likely perfected are spells made to _shield_ rather than _harm_. Sora himself, knows much of these harmful magics though I would imagine he knows very little of arcane lore unless he took it upon himself to study them."

"I don't quite understand." Kairi said, trying to make heads _and_ tails of what Merlin was telling her.

"Magic is grouped into a few wide categories. Black magic is the type you see when trying to cause harm or destruction. White magic, like your healing spells, is just that but is also broken down into two more groups of time magic and green magic. Now, one of the least studied branches is arcane magic." Merlin stroked his beard slightly. He murmured to himself for a moment as though deciding upon something and then he nodded. "Unfortunately, I believe you should learn black magic before you make the use of any arcane spells for arcane magics are often complicated and can have dizzying side effects if they are done wrong."

"Well, I do know a little bit of black magic. But it's mostly just a side effort of aero. I just turned its helpful nature against my enemies." Kairi said shrugging her shoulders.

"Well, that's an excellent start. You're already learning how to take magic and change it. Now, for starters…" Merlin waved his wand and a huge chunk of ice flew at the unsuspecting Kairi. Kairi quickly yelled out the spell for Reflect and the shield erected itself, the ice bouncing harmlessly off and flying away. "Good, good, very good, but I don't suppose you thought of trying fire magic as an approach to burning away that ice."

"Fire…magic?" Kairi asked tentatively and Merlin merely nodded at her. Clearly she would need to learn this for herself. Merlin once more waved his wand and a chunk of ice flew at her yet again. Kairi then thought of fire in her mind and yelled the incantation she saw Sora constantly use. A ring of fire surrounded her and she was so surprised at this feat that the wall of fire she had conjured dropped momentarily. Then she remembered the chunk of ice flinging her way and she brought up the fiery protection. As soon as the ice impacted with the fire it melted away and Kairi let the shield drop, her limbs sagging slightly.

"An excellent start, but you may want to consider casting such magic only as the impact is about to take place or you'll find yourself sorely lacking in energy." Marlin said. Then he cleared his throat and gave another piece of advice to the female Keyblade Master. "Also, for most elements: water, ice, earth, wind, lightning…even light, the use of them is much the same if you know the incantation. Of course, I'm sure you've seen Sora use these abilities more than once." Kairi nodded at him and then Merlin brandished his wand in a wide arc. "Well, now that I've instructed you on that, let us have a friendly duel to see you use magic in a battle."

Merlin waved his wand and large honeycomb shield weaved around them in a large circle to create an arena for the two of them that would not damage the rest of the hall. Marlin was the one who took the first strike. He raised his wand into the air and lightning came down upon Kairi. Kairi had no time to react with any other spell and so she used a Reflect spell and the rays bounced away. But Merlin took no time to catch his breath and instead sent multiple shards of ice at Kairi. Kairi immediately erected a wall of fire until she felt the ice pellets were gone. She lowered the wall to see a surprise ice shard being fired at her. She spun around with her Keyblade and blocked it, sending it back at the wizard who used his wand to create a mighty bird of fire that consumed the deflected ice and went hurtling towards Kairi. Kairi screamed and incantation for water and the rush of a pure, blue stream came out of the tip of her Keyblade and met with the flame-bird head on, dissolving the two spells on impact.

"Very good, you've learned now of the opposing forces of the elements of spells. Now we can step things up a bit." Merlin said and he spun his wand around in the air, light forming in the swirl. Then he sent it hurtling at Kairi and she knew she only had one chance to dodge it. And she did but then-

"Kairi, watch out above you!" Mickey yelled from outside the shield and Kairi saw the crushing black oblivion of a gravity spell bearing down on her. She then decided to play at Merlin's game.

"Light!" Kairi yelled and she focused light onto her Keyblade. She leapt backwards and sent the light flying into the core of the gravity spell, dispersing it immediately. Merlin reacted quickly to this chain of events and used his magic to create a tornado that swirled around Kairi and began pulling her into its vortex. She felt, at first, that this was the end of their duel. But then she remembered what Merlin had just said about opposing forces of elements. Merlin was using wind and wind was weak to…

"Gaia!" Kairi screamed and the ground beneath her moved and counteracted the tornado, putting it off balance and allowing her to escape from it. She leapt away towards Merlin and decided to take on a new tactic. She pointed her Keyblade at him and pelted fire and ice at him, alternating between the two, keeping the pressure on him until at last she had reached him and put the Keyblade against his throat.

"Not bad at all Kairi, though I must say, as a true wizard I could have transported away at any time…but this was a friendly duel after all." Merlin said and he waved his wand as the honeycombed shields disappeared. Kairi stepped away from Merlin and thanked him before wavering slightly on her feet. She knew magic took some energy, but she had never used black magic before and to be honest, it had taken quite a toll on her. "Well, you look tired my dear, perhaps you should have some rest. I think we all should. After all, tomorrow we take on Madam Mim."

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Author's Note: You know, I think that is the longest chapter I've written thus far. I really hope you enjoyed it…and there were some subtle jokes in there that if you look closely you'll see them (note: Merlin speaking to Lancelot). Anyway, the next chapter will finish up this area and in fact, that is when I'm taking my poll down 'cause I don't want it to be up forever, so please vote. After that we will go back to Sora, Donald, and Goofy. Either way, as a sneak preview, next chapter will have humor and battles so prepare yourselves for the coup de grace of Mickey, Kairi, and Demora's moments. Please review, and until next time, Dare to Be Silly.

**On another note, as an American citizen I feel obliged to say this. Though I am not a Democrat or huge Obama supporter (nor am I a Republican) I feel that I should wish Barack Obama luck as he begins his presidency today as the first black president, and from my own state of Illinois I might add! So good luck to him and his family as they embark on one of the most difficult jobs in the nation. (I mean, just look at Bush and see he went from young to old and gray, harsh stuff.)**


	11. Chapter 10: Merlin vs Mim

**DISCLAIMER: Okay, no I do not own either Kingdom Hearts or Arthurian Legend, so, yeah, go eat a cookie if you do.**

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Chapter 10

Merlin vs. Mim

"_Think wisely."_

-Merlin

Merlin and Mickey left early in the morning. As much as they wanted to find Madam Mim as soon as possible and take her down, Merlin determined that the most cautious course of action would be to go by foot rather than poofing right up to her and announcing their presence. All three of Kairi, Demora, and Arthur wished them luck and Mickey wished his two female companions luck as well as he set off with the old magician to hunt down the first member of Maleficent's Hellfire Club. When the two figures had suddenly faded beyond the horizon Kairi turned to Demora.

"So, what happened with Arthur last night?" Kairi asked her and Demora gave a start, acknowledging Kairi's presence but not the fact that she had heard the question. So Kairi repeated it and Demora gave a small chuckle.

"Lucky I went after him. I knew he was going after Guinevere, right, so I stopped him and asked him what he was going to do. He said he was just going to ask her to marry him right then and there." Kairi brought the palm of her hand to her forehead and hit herself with it. "My thoughts exactly! If he wasn't a king I would have hit him right then and there, so I pulled him away and threatened to constrain him if he didn't stop thinking such stupid thoughts." Kairi nodded her head at this and immediately began thinking of things to do, mumbling all the while.

"Boys, all they think about is with…well…even Sora is like that. They're all so used to rushing off where angels fear to tread that they think it's the same with girls and they get their faces smashed in." Kairi muttered out and Demora looked at her quizzically for a moment before responding.

"Yeah, but didn't Sora win _your_ heart by rushing in where angels fear to tread and stabbing himself with the Keyblade?" Demora said, her eyebrows raised as she did so. Kairi gave a small twitch.

"That's not the same!" Kairi snapped out and Demora recoiled a bit. "It doesn't matter, let's just go and instruct King Arthur on how to deal with women, shall we?" Kairi said and she walked briskly away from her friend and down the hall to the throne room. Of course, Demora followed in her wake, but gave her a few feet. It was not a good thing to have Kairi so pissed off this early in the morning. The guards immediately let both Kairi and Demora through the doors and in to the throne room by order of King Arthur. When Arthur saw them coming he immediately dismissed everyone else in the room and had the doors shut and bolted firmly to his halls.

"So, you're the female experts here, so give me some advice." Arthur said as Kairi and Demora pulled up some chairs, the looks on their faces indicating that they were determined to get Arthur and Guinevere together no matter what. Kairi cracked her knuckles in a menacing fashion.

"Well, as Demora has undoubtedly told you, you don't just go and ask someone to marry you right off the bat!" Kairi yelled and even Arthur recoiled from her rage. Demora at this point just shrugged her shoulders. She knew that usually Kairi was a very kind, gentle, and calm person. But once she lost it, there was no stopping her. "If you want to woo a woman you have to be kind, gentle, compliment her on her looks, her brains, everything about her…just don't say she's punctual."

"Punctual?" Arthur asked, quirking both his eyebrows simultaneously. "Why would I even tell Guinevere that she's punctual? That has to be the stupidest thing eve-" But before he could go on, Kairi had once more cut him off again.

"Sorry, obscure reference." Kairi said with a slight grin and Demora shook her head, almost in shame. "In any case, you _must_ be nice to her. Give her a smile, show her some wit. In dating, as with anything else you must be bold and daring but not too much so. For instance, take a stand and say you think she's the most ravishing thing on the planet but do NOT and I mean DO NOT say you want to hop in the sa-"

"Yes, I have that part of the picture, I would never even think of doing that!" Arthur said incredulously, a look of disgust clearly etched into his face. Demora giggled and Kairi briefly shot her a look of loathing.

"In any case, bold and daring is good. Rushing in where angels fear to tread however, is not." Kairi said with gusto and Demora decided to take a small jab at Kairi at this moment.

"Oh, unless, that rushing in where angels fear to tread involves sacrificing yourself for your dearly beloved with no thoughts of coming back, but only to save her life. That will win her heart for certain." Demora said, a small smirk on her face. The moment she had let it slide out of her mouth she knew she had touched one of Kairi's nerves. Kairi had stiffened greatly and for those few tense moments all sound had been sucked away from the room. Even Arthur knew not to say anything or cut through the tension that was now taut in the room. Kairi slowly turned to her sixteen year old friend with a sickly sweet smile. But Demora began counting to three in her head.

_1…_Kairi's eyes glinted malevolently in the flickering flames of King Arthur's hall and Demora returned it with an equal amount of playfulness reflecting in her own eyes. _2…_The smile dropped from Kairi's face and turned into a hideous scowl. But Demora just kept on smiling at her as though it were a challenge to the female Keyblade Master. _And, at last, 3._

"SHUT UP, DEMORA!!!!!" Kairi screamed and the other two people in the room felt that for certain the whole of Camelot must have shaken from Kairi's rage. Regardless, Demora hardly moved a muscle. A few seconds after that, the air in the room returned to normal and Kairi turned back to Arthur. "All right, now that we've taken care of that, Arthur, let's go find Guinevere and see how you do."

Arthur stood up, trembling and nervous, not from what he was about to do, but rather from what Kairi might do should he fail in this little exercise. He strode from the hall semi-confidently, knowing full well that both Kairi and Demora were sure to follow him. He knocked on the doors in a symbol that they should be opened and, sure enough, moments later, the doors swung wide open, permitting entrance, or rather exit, to the three. Kairi and Demora gave him a little space so as to make sure that Guinevere would not see them with Arthur, though Demora was pretty sure in her own mind that Guinevere already knew that they had spent time with the king of Camelot.

Guinevere herself was waiting, or rather chatting with some friends, in the small garden area of the castle. Arthur knew that was where she was, as that was where she went practically everyday, and Arthur made a beeline immediately for that area. Sure enough, as the halls brightened and opened onto the gardens he saw her sitting there, chatting amiably with some of the other women of the court. Arthur took a deep breath and without as much as a glance at his female companions he strode in boldly. The women in the court saw him coming and immediately stood up and curtsied to him. Arthur himself bowed to them. Then he smiled and turned to Guinevere.

"Guinevere, I was wondering if you would so much as accompany me for a stroll through the gardens?" Arthur said kindly. The women around him giggled and as Demora saw the display she shook her head. No matter what world…all women were the same. Guinevere nodded and she and Arthur hooked their arms together and began to walk around the garden. "Guinevere, I must say you look absolutely stunning and beautiful today."

"Oh, why thank you, Your Majesty." Guinevere said attempting to curtsey to him but failing at it, due to the fact their arms were locked.

"Please, you may call me Arthur." Arthur said. Kairi giggled a bit and Demora was about to follow suit when she noticed something. There was a man in the opposite hallway, stealing glances at the strolling couple. Demora glared at him and managed to discern some of his features: Lancelot. Demora quietly slipped away from Kairi as she was too absorbed in the scene in the gardens and wound her way to where Lancelot was standing leaning against the wall. She was extremely quiet and stealth-like and as she approached Lancelot she drew her katana and held it at his neck.

"Spying on the king, now, are we?" Demora said, acid leaking into her voice. "Or, are you spying on his bride-to-be?" Lancelot chanced a glance at the katana poised at his throat and he gave a small chuckle.

"Please milady, do you honestly think you, a woman, can defeat me?" Lancelot said haughtily. Demora sidled up to him a bit more.

"Let's put it this way, leave Arthur and Guinevere alone and do your job to serve him or you may find my katana is swift and fierce." Demora said. With that she sheathed her katana and walked away as Lancelot's face paled. Demora soon joined up with Kairi again and looked at her. As she suspected, Kairi had not noticed she had been gone. "How's our champ doing?"

"He's complimenting her all right, but he's going about it all wrong!" Kairi said with a tone that made Demora think that if Kairi were a vegetable, she would be steaming. Demora chuckled to herself. It was a good thing Selphie had planned that wedding after all…or else Kairi might have been the biggest Bridezilla in history.

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Merlin crouched down in the forest where Mim had been just the day before. He examined the area of the forest…or at least, what was left of it. For true enough, the forest where Madam Mim had resided was now reduced down to half a dozen trees and those trees indeed looked dead. Clearly Mim could not use those trees as she had anticipated. Merlin turned to the king.

"I'm afraid Mim has moved off again!" Merlin told the pint-sized king. Mickey frowned at the ground when the statement issued form Merlin's mouth.

"Gosh…I wonder if we'll _ever_ find her." Mickey said worriedly and Merlin still gave a little chuckle. Mickey looked at him with an inquisitive glance.

"Oh, there's no need to fear, Your Majesty. Mim was never one for subtlety. Why, in the last fight against her, all she did was transform into things bigger than me!" Merlin said, barely suppressing he laughter in his voice. "Mim will be easy to find. Just look there, on the horizon!" Mickey followed Merlin's cue and saw that sure enough, pink smoke was rising from forests here and there. But to the king's dismay he noticed that the puffs of pink smoke were moving closer and closer to the castle.

"Merlin, Madam Mim seems to be moving closer to the castle! We better hurry!" Mickey yelled and Merlin agreed with that course of action, the two sprinting off in Mim's direction. Mickey looked over at the old wizard to make sure he was okay with all this running. But, like a true magician, Merlin was looking no worse for the wear. True he had sweat leaking down his brow and his breathing was a bit more shallow and heavy than it had been before but his limbs were still as strong as ever and he pushed forward until they were, at last, within three yards of the billowing pink smoke. The forest was not entirely gone and as they reached the outskirts of it, the pink smoke seemed to vanish and inexplicably stop. When they reached an inner clearing they found Mim sitting on a stump of a broken tree. She was panting heavily as though exhausted from all of the hard work she had just done. There was nothing surrounding her at all, no Heartless, nothing but a small clearing of grass.

Merlin gave a small smirk to the king and drew his wand from his sleeve once again. He pointed it at Mim and muttered a small incantation. From the tip of the wand, a large tornado flew out and before Mim had the chance to react she was picked up and blown to the other side of the clearing. Merlin guffawed loudly as Mim stumbled to her feet quickly.

"I should have known it was you Merlin!" Mim said with disgust. "You and your pathetic displays of magic!"

"Oh please Mim, I know your tricks by now." Merlin said, brandishing his wand. "Even if Maleficent has taught you some new tricks, I doubt they'll be much use Mim!"

"Really now, you old codger?!" Mim screamed and she danced around the clearing a little, cackling as she did so. "Either way, if I defeat you then I win! And if you defeat me, I still win! 'Cause Maleficent will just bring me back again!" She cackled even louder this time. This time it was Mickey's turn to laugh.

"I think Maleficent stops bringing back her allies after they've failed her because they never seem to help her out after that." Mickey told Mim and Mim stopped for a moment to scrutinize the mouse on the field.

"Who are you? An enormous mouse?" Mim said, her jesting tone still vibrating around the area. Mickey smiled at Mim and immediately summoned his gold and silver Keyblade.

"I'm King Mickey Mouse, the ruler of Disney Castle and a Keybearer." Mickey said proudly and triumphantly. Mim gave him a look of shock as both the old wizard and the kingly Keybearer brought their weapons to bear. But she soon regained her bearings and gave a small cackle. She bounced up and down a little bit on her toes.

"Okay then, I'll just have to take you down too!" Mim cackled and she let fly a blistering red wave of fire that was about to crash down on the duo. Mickey quickly protected himself with a Reflect spell and Merlin waved his wand, dispersing the flame into nothing. Mim scowled. She thought for sure that would have done. Merlin gave a smile. The wizard's duel had begun.

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"Well, it seems we've made some progress with you and Guinevere." Kairi said when Arthur had left Guinevere in the garden. Arthur smiled at the two young women and thanked them for everything. "You're going to need to continue that for a while and when you think she's smitten with you, ask her to be your queen."

"I must say I'm very grateful to the both of you, she looked quite taken with me as I started to complimen-" Arthur began to say before a harsh and discordant sound broke through the halls of the castle. Arthur froze and a look of fear was on his face. Both Kairi and Demora looked around for the source of the noise but couldn't find anything. They looked at Arthur and he knew they were wondering what was going on. So he answered them. "That horn means we're under attack, but I don't know what could possibly be attacking us at this time." Arthur said with a concerned expression. But he didn't think on it very long for without another second or word to Kairi and Demora he fled to the gates of the castle. Regardless, the two women followed him up to the ramparts and saw from a distance, an army of roughly five-hundred creatures advancing on the castle. But both Kairi and Demora knew what they were.

"Heartless!" Kairi spat out. Arthur took a glance at her and at once Kairi herself began barking orders. "Get your best men onto that field, we'll go with them. As soon as we're fighting the Heartless you close the gate tightly behind you and protect the women and children of the court. And remind your men that Heartless are not to be trifled with. Arthur, protect Guinevere!" The area around them was silent as the soldiers stared at her. They were surprised that someone other than their king was giving orders, and a woman no less. But Arthur nodded.

"You heard her! To the gates, quickly lads!" Arthur yelled, before mouthing a thank you to Kairi, and there was a large cacophony of sounds as men rushed to put on their battle hear and grab their weapons. Kairi looked at Demora and the two nodded. They ran to the edge of the ramparts and before Arthur could yell at them to stop, they jumped off into the thicket of Heartless. Demora quickly unsheathed her katana as Kairi summoned her Keyblade in a flash. Both of them hurtled down and swung their weapons into the throng of Heartless, some of them dispersing immediately.

Kairi spun around and her Keyblade cut through an enormous swath of Heartless and Demora was faring just as well. Kairi smirked. Time to show this boys exactly how powerful they were on the battlefield. Kairi stole a glance at the gates to see the men, led by Lancelot, emerging and running into the heat of battle. But Kairi almost paid for taking her eyes off the battle as the Heartless jumped at her. So she decided to head the lessons of Merlin's magic session well. She twirled around and spoke the incantation for a fire spell and a wall of fired blazed around her as though it was a tornado and the Heartless were thrown backwards. At this moment, Lancelot had at last entered the fray and was swinging his sword at the Heartless. At first he seemed unsure how to fight the creatures but his reluctance faded into swagger as the battle wore on.

Demora herself was moving quicker than anyone on the field. Though she herself did not possess the mighty Keyblade and therefore could not cast magic, she was still extremely skilled at moving quickly on the battlefield. Such was the reason that the katana was her weapon of choice, allowing her multiple hits quickly and before the enemy could make a move. She jumped into the air as the Mastiff Heartless jumped at her and she twirled around in a graceful arc, slicing through the beings of darkness. She then landed on the ground and dashed forward, cutting through more of the unsuspecting creatures. But both she and Kairi knew, this battle would take a little bit of time.

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Back in the clearing, the battle between Merlin and Mim was intense. Mim had already disregarded the king in the fight, believing him to be the weaker link of the duo and was instead focusing on Merlin. She jumped onto the stump and set bolts of red lightning at him with ferocity, focusing the rays into a single beam that she thought for sure would smite the wizard. Merlin waved his wand in a circle and sent out his own bolts of blue lightning. The two connected and began to grapple with each other in mid air. As this battle of lightning was taking place, Mickey was inching his way toward Mim. Mim seemed to notice this attempt and she laughed out loud.

"Did you think I would fall for that you pestilential rodent?!" Mim cackled out and diverted some of her bolts of lightning to try and strike the king. He just flipped away and even as Mim tried to send more bolts at him he dodged them. Very soon, one of them nearly hit their mark and Mickey blocked it with the Keyblade and sent it straight back at Mim. It hit her and coursed through her a bit, nearly breaking the connection between her and Merlin's spells. She grunted and broke the connection, instead created a dragon of red flame that expanded its wings and flew upon the older wizard. Merlin took a step back and glared at the dragon. He flicked his wand as though one would crack a whip and seemed to pierce the dragon of flame right through the heart.

The dragon writhed in pain and seemed to dissolve almost. But Merlin took advantage of the spell that was already on the playing field and he whirled his wand around, transforming the dissipating dragon into a whirl of flame that he sent at Mim. Mim nearly screamed but soon she merely contorted her hands and caused the flame to vanish. As this was happening Merlin glanced around for anything he could use and noticed something; that though it was far away, there was a lake. Merlin whipped his wand around again and the water from the lake stirred, hurtling in Mim's direction. Mim was preparing to cast another spell when she noticed the water coming straight at her. She tried to direct her spell in that direction but it glanced off the incoming water, instead absorbing her into its grasp. She struggled as the water formed a globe around her and began to choke her. Merlin looked to Mickey and nodded. Mickey flung at Mim and cast an extremely powerful thunder spell at the globe. But Mim decided to use this to her advantage and absorbed it, discharging great bolts of lightning.

The water evaporated and Mim fell to the ground, the remaining bolts of her discharge firing at the king. He flipped through the air and dodged them or knocked them away with his Keyblade. Mim cracked a toothy grin and using her hands fired the power of darkness at Merlin. Merlin held his wand to bear and used his own reflect spell to bounce it back at Mim. But Mim pushed forward with more strength and Merlin wasn't able to hold it. Mickey saw this and flipped in, casting his own reflect spell to block against the tide of darkness. What the duo did not realize was Mim steadily absorbing the darkness into her own hands. At last, when it reached its apex she let it explode like a bomb.

Both Merlin and King Mickey fell backward and the trees swayed as their bark flew off and shattered into tiny pieces. Mim cackled and transformed the bark into tiny pieces of glass, flinging them at the duo. Merlin grunted and waved his wand again, transforming all of the pieces of glass into shards of ice. Mickey then uttered the incantation for a potent fire wall which sprung up and melted all of the shards of ice into nothingness. Mim gasped at this turn of events.

"Not possible!" Mim screeched and with another ounce of strength sent yet another spell of darkness at the duo that wrapped around them and began to suffocate them. However, the king had other ideas and used light from the tip of his Keyblade to create a shield around them. The darkness buffeted the shield and attacked it but could not make a dent in it. Mickey then pushed the light forward and expanded it, breaking through the swirling darkness. Merlin then jabbed his wand fiercely in Mim's direction. A white spell flew from the tip of his wand and hit Mim, causing her to double over and stumble. Merlin pushed the offensive with his Holy spell as it hit Mim and she struggled against it. But she whipped her hands and a short lash of darkness cut through the spell. She writhed her hands once more, preparing to cast a fatal spell but stopped in the middle, looking down at her chest, where a golden Keyblade had pierced through her heart.

"I'm afraid you lose, Mim." Merlin said to her, a smug grin on his face. Mim was choking and coughing up blood, spluttering her disbelief. She twisted around, the Keyblade causing immense pain to her body. She looked at Mickey and gave her final cackle.

"Oh, but I'm afraid you're too late, _Your Majesty_." Mim said with a seething venom. "I may have lost here, but my Heartless are going to still take Arthur off the throne and destroy Camelot." Mim cackled one final time as she finished announcing this and then her body faded away into the darkness, eliminating the first member of Maleficent's Hellfire Club. Mickey shook his Keyblade out and then fixed Merlin with a look that wasn't quite fear but wasn't elation either.

"Kairi and Demora!" he yelled and Merlin nodded stoutly waving his wand and poofing them from the clearing to the site of battle.

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Surprisingly to Kairi and Demora, the battle had not lasted that long. It was thanks to their skills and efforts that they were able to easily wipe out the horde of Heartless. In fact, in totaling up their numbers they found that both of them had vanquished more Heartless than all of the soldiers, including Lancelot, combined. For this reason, Lancelot at last acknowledged them.

"Well, you fared pretty well on the battlefield, for a woman, I must say." Lancelot said proudly, attempting to still hold onto his honor.

"For a woman?!" both of them yelled in synchronization and Lancelot cowered, knowing full well at last that they could easily kill him in a battle. Both of the young women were bearing down on Lancelot when at last there was a loud popping noise and both Merlin and the King appeared in a haze of white smoke. Mickey immediately surveyed the battlefield.

"You're all right!" Mickey exclaimed, jumping up them. Kairi smiled at him and nodded, hugging Mickey as though he were a plush doll.

"It seems like you're all right too." Kairi said cheerily and Mickey blinked and nodded. Demora turned to Merlin and asked the single most question burning in her mind.

"Madam Mim?" Demora asked. Merlin chortled and dusted off his wand which was still outside of his sleeves.

"Vanquished at last, thanks to His Majesty." Merlin said merrily. "I believe that concludes our work here unless…" He glanced inquisitively in Kairi's and Demora's directions. They gave him the thumbs up, indicating that Arthur was well on his way to wooing Guinevere to be his wife.

"Welp, if that's all taken care of, then we should get goin'!" Mickey proclaimed and his companions nodded at him. Merlin turned to Mickey and bowed.

"Shall I bring you back to Radiant Garden, Your Majesty?" Merlin asked but Mickey shook his head defiantly.

"No, we still have to check on the princesses like Sora, Donald, and Goofy." Mickey said, informing Merlin and reminding him that their quest was not yet over. Kairi looked at the ground concernedly.

"I hope he's okay…" Kairi muttered, feeling pocket where her lucky charm would have been. She wondered if Sora had gotten it yet from the special messenger she had sent along. Demora put a hand on her shoulder and reassured her that he was.

"All right then!" Mickey said triumphantly. "We're going to Enchanted Dominion, so let's hurry!" Mickey said and he raised his Keyblade into the air as Merlin poofed away back to Radiant Garden. Kairi and Demora stood next to Mickey and Demora leaned in towards Kairi.

"You ever been there?" Demora asked the princess of heart and Kairi threw a scathing look at her.

"Nope! Not a once!" Kairi stated and they were beamed aboard the Gummi Ship, ready to set sail for the next world.

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Author's Note: Okay! _**That**_** is the longest chapter I've written and I posted it on the same day as Chapter 9!! I really do hope you enjoyed it and feel free to comment and bash me for any misuse I might have made in Arthurian Legend, I'm not exactly an expert on it…In any case, with Mim dead we can move back to Sora, Donald, and Goofy as they move to secure the next princess. I won't tell you who it is so you can guess in the meantime and leave any other comments. And, as promised, next chapter I'll tell you the results of the poll and what world will be put in the story. Until then, please review and as always, Dare to Be Silly.**


	12. Chapter 11: Up to No Good

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothin'…unless you count me owning myself but I don't think that technically counts (and I'm not in the story except for my author's note and this disclaimer anyway).**

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Chapter 11

Up to No Good

"_There's a spy in black, lurking in the mountains."_

-Mulan, referring to a member of Organization XIII

_At last, we're finally finished._ That was the thought that filled Sora's head as he, Donald, and Goofy were beamed aboard the Gummi Ship. He was tired, believe it or not. The rain had soaked his clothes and though he could heat them and dry them with a magic spell it would still take time to get his clothes back to what they were. So he took off his jacket as soon as he was back on the ship and hung on the coat rack to dry. Donald and Goofy did the same with their hats and Goofy also hung up his jacket. Sora then gave a loud yawn.

"Man, I am bushed you guys!" Sora said and both Donald and Goofy fully agreed with him. But Donald rounded on Sora.

"Where were you last night?!" Donald squawked and Sora backed away slightly. "Goofy and I were worried that you never showed up at the castle!"

"Come on…" Sora said in defense of himself, putting his hands in front of his face. "Did you really think I was gonna walk all the way back to the castle when I could just sleep her aboard the Gummi Ship?" Sora gave the two of them a sheepish grin and Donald glared at him for a moment.

"Aww, phooey!" Donald said, waving his hands as though to brush the matter aside as he, Sora, and Goofy went to the cockpit to plot the course for their next world. Sora sat down in the captains chair and activated the keyboard, bringing up a star chart of the worlds. "So, what'cha doin'?"

"I'm plotting the course for our next world." Sora said with determination, typing some letters on the keyboard to pinpoint the next location. Goofy looked at Sora solemnly.

"Gawrsh Sora…where are we going next?" Goofy asked with a perplexed look playing his features. Sora smiled at him.

"Where else? Wonderland. I mean, Alice is a princess of heart and we have been to her world before so we should drop by there before going somewhere we've never heard of before." Sora reasoned out to his companions and they'd agree. "So far we've knocked off Jasmine and Belle so we'll take care of Alice and everything should be hunky-dory."

"Hey, wait a sec!" yelled a small miniscule voice from somewhere in the cockpit. "What happened that you three didn't tell me about?" All three looked around quickly, trying to determine the source of the voice. All three knew it _sounded_ familiar but they couldn't quite place it with a face. That is, until Sora felt something climbing up his arm. The movement tickled him and he started laughing, almost throwing off whatever was on his arm. But the thing attached to it, just wouldn't let go. "Hey, hold it Sora, it's me, Jiminy Cricket, at your service!" Sora froze.

"Jiminy?!" Sora said loudly and he brought his arm up to eyes level, noticing for sure that Jiminy Cricket was indeed resting on his arm. He eyed the little cricket for a moment before putting a question to him. "When did you get here, Jiminy?"

"Oh ho, I've been here since you guys took off." Jiminy said, responding to the query.

"Gawrsh…but Jiminy, if you were here, why didn't you tell us?" Goofy asked the little cricket with concern. Jiminy frowned at this mention and looked at Sora.

"Well, truth be told, ever since I got on the ship I just found a nice place to rest and I've been out cold until recently." Jiminy hopped down off of Sora's shoulder and sprinted as fast as his little legs could carry him to the nearby wall where he dragged over Kairi's lucky charm. Sora gave a start.

"Kairi's good luck charm!" Sora exclaimed, taking it gingerly from Jiminy and holding it up. Jiminy sighed and hopped back onto Sora's shoulder this time.

"Yeah, Kairi noticed me trying to get on the ship as you left without me and she remembered that she had meant to give this to you. So she handed it to me and said 'For Sora to always remember me until our hearts bring us together again'. I carried it on here and the exhaustion was so much I collapsed." Jiminy said and the companions nodded at him. Sora smiled at Jiminy.

"Thanks Jiminy." Sora then summoned the Keyblade and replaced the keychain on it for the first time in seven years, creating the stunning white finish of the Oathkeeper keychain. After he had dismissed the Keyblade, Jiminy quickly asked about what had happened on their adventures so far. The three friends gave a run down to Jiminy as he filled in his Jiminy Journal Volume III. An hour or two had passed when Jiminy had at last filled in every scrap of detail they had given him. Sora then finally put in the auto-pilot course for Wonderland and the three left the cockpit. As they walked along the hallway to the leisure room Sora turned to his friends.

"The usual?" Sora asked and both of them nodded. Then Sora gave a smirk and got in Donald's face. "And this time I'm gonna win!"

"I don't think so, Sora!" Donald said as they entered in the room and Sora took out the pack of cards from the cupboard on the far side of the room. Meanwhile, Jiminy opened his journal to a fresh page and wrote on the top: Hearts Scores Vol. III Round 1.

Hearts. The only card game these four would play in their lifetime, determined to see who would be the best. (A/N: see end of chapter for description on how to play Hearts) Sora quickly dealt the cards and all of them looked. Sora was mildly pleased with his cards and noticed that he did indeed have the Queen of Spades. But still, he had to choose three cards to give to Donald…and he was going to have a ball with it. He chose his Ace of Diamonds, His 10 of Hearts and his 8 of Hearts, passing them along to the slightly miffed duck. Goofy was the first to make his play, placing the 2 of Clubs, the starting card, on the table. Jiminy followed with Ace of Clubs, Sora the King of Clubs and Donald the 10 of Clubs. Jiminy took the pot.

Jiminy started the next round, playing the Jack of Spades. Sora smirked at this play and played the Ace of Spades, both Donald and Goofy had no choice but to play their 10 of Spades and their King of Spades respectively. Sora took the cards this time. Then he thought quickly. He had to get rid of his Clubs and so he played the 6 of Clubs. Donald sniggered and placed down the Ace of Diamonds…clearly Donald was out of Clubs. Goofy followed up with a 7 of Clubs and Jiminy ended with the Queen, forcing him to take it again. As Jiminy started his next play, he placed the Queen of Diamonds down. Sora of course, followed up with the 6 of Diamonds and Donald with his 9 of Diamonds. But as Goofy was at last about to put down his 10 of Diamonds, a warning bell blared in the room and they were rocked back a bit, their cards, falling out of their hands.

"What's going on?!!" Donald yelled loudly as the ship was rocked again. Sora sprung up and dashed for the cockpit, Jiminy hopping into his pocket and Donald and Goofy hot on his heels. They reached the cockpit and Sora sidled into the captain's chair bring up the monitor to show him what was going on outside. "Wak! That's a lot of Heartless ships!" Sora immediately set his jaw and began barking out orders.

"Donald! Take the weapons now! Goofy, read the monitors to see how the ship is doing!" Sora said. "Let's try and get out of this thicket." Sora barrel-rolled the ship around to dodge incoming fire from a nearby Spider ship. But Sora soon saw as he rolled, swooped, and swerved that there was going to be no way out of here unless they were to blow everything up. Sora shouted his orders to Donald to fire all the Thundaga-G and Ultima-G attached to the ship while Goofy would read the power gauge. Both saluted him and began doing their respective jobs. As Donald blew up some of the Heartless ships, Sora was navigating through the maze of them. There seemed to be every variety of the strongest Heartless ships here: Spider, Omega, Hunter, Hunter-X and a Driller and Reaper's Wheel. Whatever they were doing in this part of space, they had certainly come full force. Unfortunately for the crew it was not long before Goofy delivered to them some bad news.

"Uh, fellers, we've been hit!" Goofy exclaimed. Sora demanded to see where and noticed that one of their Holy-G engines had been shot and soon they would go spiraling out of control. There was only one thing for it.

"Goofy, what's the nearest world on the star map?" Sora asked quickly and Goofy immediately began pinpointing their position before announcing:

"Land of Dragons!" Goofy yelled out and Sora quickly set his mind. They were crash-landing there, like it or not. Sora asked Goofy to triangulate the position for the Gummi Ship and Sora followed Goofy's directions to the letter, at last aiming downwards for the Land of Dragons. Donald and Goofy began to scream as the ship heated up upon its descent into the world. As they lowered, Sora was just glad that gummis were fire retardant. But the relief didn't last long as soon Sora nearly lost control of the ship and brought it in for a less than smooth landing in the rocky rivulets of the Checkpoint. Sora pulled on the breaks of the ship as it skidded along the rocks and soon crashed into the rock wall that bordered one of its edges. The three friends bucked forward in their seats and quickly steadied themselves.

"Goofy, damage read-out?" Sora asked his dog-like friend to see just how bad the condition of the ship was. Goofy analyzed the data on the ship as Donald put away the weapons on the ship.

"Uh…ship is intact, just a small paint chipping on the side of the Gummi Ship that just hit the wall…but the engine has taken severe damage." Goofy stated to the members in the cockpit. Sora nodded and then stood up and opened the cockpit, deciding to see the damage for himself. Donald and Goofy quickly followed him out and walked around the side of the Gummi Ship that was not impacted with the rock wall. Sora bent down and checked the Holy-G engine. He ran his hand over it. It was a good thing that it was actually daytime in the Land of Dragons or it would have been difficult for Sora to see. But he didn't need the blinding sun to know:

"The engine's shot. We're gonna need another one if we even hope to fly at a decent pace." Sora said, kicking the now dead engine. A scowl carried over every feature of his face and frowns had even appeared on Donald's and Goofy's faces. "But where are we supposed to find a Holy-G here?"

"I don't know…" Donald said, a touch of sadness filling the air as he said it. Goofy was the first one to perk up. He grabbed his two friends together and put his arms around their shoulders.

"Aww…cheer up guys, while we're here we can see how Mulan's doin'! After all, if the Heartless ships were around here, then the Heartless are probably here too so we can take care of them while we're stuck here." Goofy suggested to the group at large and both of them looked at him. Sora was the first to smile back, pushing Goofy's hand off his shoulder.

"Great idea, Goofy!" Sora said and Donald wholeheartedly agreed. "Maybe Mulan will know about a Holy-G somewhere, so let's get going!" And the three began walking off toward the palace to meet with Mulan, Jiminy hopping inside Sora's hood for the ride.

As they drew away, another man came out of the shadows of the mountain, dressed in white that covered his whole body as though it were a robe and yet not flowing enough to be one. The outfit covered his face save for his eyes and his flaming red hair. He smirked under his cloak. _At last the Keyblade Master was here_.

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The watch around the Imperial Palace at this time of day was rather relaxed. There was no war, and had not been war for quite a few wars. Albeit things were strange that morning for they had seen a large comet come streaking down from the sky and land in the checkpoint. Nothing that strange had happened for seven years since Sora, Donald and Goofy had come to the Land of Dragons and had helped Mulan defeat the Huns and Shan-Yu himself. It didn't bother them too much but it was rather strange. To them though, that was no more stranger than when three figures were seen approaching the palace from the Checkpoint. The Captain of the Guard, upon examining this, issued orders to double up security on the Emperor should anything befall him that was not quite wanted. It was the guards at the gate who saw the figures first.

"Halt! None are allowed past to see His Excellency the Emperor!" the guards said, their spears crossing the gate in a defensive X. The three figures stiffened a little bit but the tallest of the three figures, a boy with spiky brown hair relaxed straightaway.

"Relax, we're just here to see Mulan." the boy said with a grin on his face. "Is it all right if we can visit her?" The two guards looked at each other. These…for lack of a better word, people had not yet attacked them and they were asking to see Mulan, so then perhaps they were in fact…

"Are you Sora, Donald, and Goofy?" asked the taller of the two guards. All three of them nodded and Sora let out a small chuckle. The two guards wiped their brows and sighed, relieved that they had only met the heroes of the Land of Dragons and not any malevolent force. The tall guard turned around and pounded on the gates three times in a sort of code. "Open the gates for Their Honors, Sora, Donald, and Goofy." There was no sound for a few moments until the gates to the palace swung wide open. The guards bowed to them and indicated that Mulan was in the Throne Room with His Excellency and Captain Shang. They thanked him and ran into the Imperial Square. There weren't many more guards as they ran along and soon they reached the doors into the palace where some familiar looking faces were standing guard.

"Yao! Ling! Chien-Po!" Sora yelled and he ran up to them. They turned in the companions directions and smiled some wide smiles…or at least as much as Yao could smile.

"Well, look who it is." Yao said in his gruff voice. "We were wondering if you were gonna show up."

"What does that mean?" Donald asked, a glare shimmering in his eyes. Ling shrugged his shoulders.

"Nothing!" he responded to them. "We just thought you guys would be the ones to come to the captain's wedding."

"Shang's getting…married?!" Sora asked in surprise and all three of them nodded at him. "Wow, who knew he and Mulan had fallen in love with each other that much."

"Gawrsh, it's kinda like you and Kairi…" Goofy said and Sora grinned sheepishly. Goofy then turned to the three they had been talking to. "But uh, what're you guys doin' here?"

"We're part of the Imperial Guard, captains in fact." Chien-Po said quietly, as though in a whisper. Sora looked impressed, only seven years ago they had been lowly soldiers…granted they were the only soldiers with Shang at the time that did _not_ turn into Heartless but still.

"Well, we're here to see Mulan, can you let us in to see her?" Sora asked of his three friends and they nodded at him.

"Yeah, sure!" Ling responded and both Yao and Chien-Po helped to open up the palace doors. Sora thanked them and the three of them made their way into the palace halls eventually forging through to the throne room, making their entrance with the huge banging noise of the doors. All three of the people in the room looked up as they entered in. Mulan gave a start from where she was and smiled at her emerging friends.

"So, we come to the Land of Dragons accidentally thanks to our crashing ship and a huge horde of Heartless ships and end up finding out that apparently you two are getting married and we didn't even merit an invitation!" Sora said upon his entrance, the tone of his voice being playful and a very large grin on his face. "Why not tell us?"

"And how are we supposed to get a message to another world, soldier?" Shang asked, a smile also being on his face as though the two were about to have some playful banter. Sora just sent a smirk his way and scoffed a bit.

"A message in a bottle from an ocean works wonders, believe me." Sora said and there was a small pause between them all. "So, uh…Shang, Mulan, Your Excellency, what is an armada of Heartless ships doing outside, circling your world?" Mulan and Shang looked at each other with shock and shook their heads. Clearly, they knew nothing about any Heartless ships in the area whatsoever and so Sora brushed it off. "It doesn't matter."

"Wait, Sora, you said your ship got crashed?" Mulan asked in alarm. Sora nodded and explained the whole situation to them quickly. The three natives of the Land of Dragons looked at each other. "Well, I don't know if there are any Gummis here but you're welcome to stay for the wedding tomorrow if you have the time."

"Why not?" Sora said, shrugging his shoulders. "We have time, what with our ship out of commission, and we might find a gummi if we stick around for another day. In the meantime…is there anything we can help you with? I mean, it does seem like the Heartless are up to no good again after all." Mulan and Shang looked at each other and then glanced at the Emperor who stood up.

"Indeed there may be. Word has reached my ears of a spy in the mountains yet again. While I do not know if this is true it would be comforting to my men's ears to know that there is nothing to fear from this spy. After all, a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush." the Emperor said to them.

"Not sure how that applies…" Sora said confusedly.

"You want us to find this guy and fry him?" Donald asked, whipping out his staff in an instant. "Not a problem!" The Emperor chuckled at this mention and shook his head. Donald put his staff away sadly.

"No, rather I would have you ascertain the truth of these rumors. To put my men's hearts at ease is much more fulfilling that the sounds of rage and war." the Emperor told the steamed up duck. Sora thought about this for a moment and then put a question to the Emperor.

"What do you guys know about this supposed spy?" Sora asked, intrigued by the mention of this. The last time there had been a spy in the mountains it had been Riku who was trying to save them…or Xigbar who was trying to condemn them.

"Captain?" the Emperor requested of Shang. Shang bowed to them briefly before explaining the situation.

"The spy in the mountains is supposedly clad in a robe, or at least garb similar to that of a ninja, only his outfit is that of white as pure as snow. He has a head of flaming red hair. No one knows if it is long or it is short for he keeps it tucked in to the part of his clothing that covers his mouth. That is all we really know about this spy since the men that see him only see him for but a moment before he disappears in a flash of fire. For this reason, and others, he is known as 'The Flaming Edge'." Shang told them and all three of the companions thought on this. To Sora, it was an interesting quest to be sent on.

"'The Flaming Edge'…?" Sora muttered under his breath, wondering what the man had done to be called such a name. He looked up as Goofy tugged on the sleeve of his shirt. Sora wondered for a moment why his shirt was being tugged on before he realized he had not put his jacket back on and neither had Goofy. Either way they had to go back that way so: "Why not? We'll do it, as a wedding present." Shang bowed to them.

"I'll go with you guys." Mulan said, standing next to Sora, Donald and Goofy. Shang looked taken aback but Mulan silenced him with a look indicating that she would be fine. "Come on out Mushu." The red dragon popped his head out of Mulan's robes.

"Man, what you gotta bother me for now?" Mushu asked agitatedly. "Is Cri-Kee causin' trouble again, 'cause sometimes I think he ain't no lucky cricket." Mushu had said all of this with his eyes closed and suddenly Sora had an idea. He crept up to the dozing dragon silently and grabbed him stretching him out. Mushu started screaming before he realized who it was. "Ah, Sora, nice to s-see ya again, what'cha doin' here?" Sora at last stopped after another minute.

"That was for tricking us seven years ago." Sora said before putting the spinning Mushu back in his place. He then turned to his friends. "Well, shall we?" They all nodded and the four friends left the palace quickly to track down the spy known as "The Flaming Edge".

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It would take many hours for the crew to reach the top of the Tung-Shao pass and Sora didn't want to be caught without his jacket. Therefore, the first stop for all of them was the crashed Gummi Ship. Thankfully, the interior and indeed, most of the exterior, were fairly intact and suffered little damage. Thus, Sora and Goofy were both able to easily slip in and grab their jackets while also grabbing Donald's hat for him as he was starting to get steamed that he didn't have it with him. Soon enough, they were on their way to the Tung-Shao pass. A surprise however, awaited Sora near the base.

"Wow, look at how great the town looks you guys?" Sora said in awe upon arrival to the village at the base. Only seven years had passed since they had last been here, when the town had been reduced to nothing but a pile of ash and rubble by Shan-Yu and his invading army of Heartless. But now the village was back to how it was when they had first arrived on the world in all of its yellow brick and red roofed splendor. Even Donald and Goofy were in awe at the village and as they walked through to reach the mountain pass, Mulan informed them.

"After we stopped that giant Heartless and you had asked about your friend, Riku, was it? Anyway, Shang and a bunch of men, including Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po returned and helped rebuild the village. It took only a small amount of time, especially once the villagers joined in and helped work on restoring the village. It took a lot of work, but they finished it." Mulan explained to them and Sora smiled, pleased at it. It was really a testament to how strong the people of the worlds were; they were strong enough to fight against fear and oppression and build their own lives.

"Well, it looks awesome, Mulan!" Sora said and Mulan grinned at him as they began their trek up the mountain. There were no Heartless to be found as they braved the steep slopes of the Tung-Shao mountain but a biting wind began blowing around and cutting through their clothing to the very bone. Sora was glad that he had brought his jacket, though it didn't do much good against the cold and very soon the four companions were forced to huddle together as they made their way up the slope. After about fifteen minutes however they were forced to come to a stop and take a rest until the wind had died down and stopped blowing snow everywhere. So they sat near the wall of a mountain, huddled together while Mushu made them a fire to warm themselves by.

"How can anybody live up _here_?!" Donald exclaimed through his chattering beak. The other three members of the party shook their heads, wondering the same thing but not saying it out loud.

Sora had hoped that the snow and wind would die down in a few minutes but the mountain was unforgiving to them and five minutes later a blizzard had begun to whip around the mountain and even Mushu wasn't able to keep up with it. Thus was the group forced to wait for three hours as the snow kept falling. In that time period, both Donald and Goofy fell asleep while Sora and Mulan both kept watch. Even though it was indeed snowing harshly, neither one of them wanted to be caught unawares by this supposed spy that was in the mountains. But as the second hour of the watch came to a close, Mulan found herself drifting off to the world of dreams.

"It's okay; you can sleep if you want." Sora said to her caringly. Mulan nodded as her eyelids began to droop once again. Sora put a hand on Mulan's shoulder and gave her a wide grin. She smiled back and then curled up to take a rest. Sora took a look at the snow falling from the sky. Believe it or not, this was the first world he had ever seen snow in. After living on a tropical island his whole life he hadn't been used to the cold air but did find that he rather enjoyed it. Something out of the ordinary was always welcome from the boring monotonous feelings of day to day life on Destiny Islands. Still, Sora had to shield his eyes as the blizzard became fiercer and started stinging his eyes. "Jiminy, you might want to go in the pocket for now, I'm gonna need my hood."

"No problem Sora." Jiminy said to him and the little cricket hopped into Sora's outstretched palm as he put him into the red pocket on his side. Sora then drew up his hood to protect him from the cold. He then leaned against the mountainside to keep watch. He was sure there was no need, he couldn't see anything through the snow, much less anybody see them, but you could never be too careful. Sora had just begun to start counting snowflakes as he got bored when he caught a disturbance in the flakes. It was barely noticeable but it was there: a small patch of solid white amongst the falling flakes of ice and frozen precipitate. Sora quickly sprang up but none of his companions stirred; he didn't want to wake them anyway. And so he followed in the direction of the misplaced figure.

The white splotch moved as a phantom through the icy mountain and seemed to have the snow bounce off of it as it trekked through it. Sora attempted to follow its footsteps but it seemed that as soon as the footsteps were made, a wave of snow would cover it up. Still, Sora's eyes became heat seeking missiles that sought its target with a thirst until at last Sora reached the summit and his eyes saw…nothing. There was nothing on the summit but the blowing snow. Perhaps his eyes were being tricked. He summoned out the Oathkeeper in a flash of bright light.

"Fire!" Sora yelled and a small column of flame surrounded him, clearing some of the snow and enabling him increased vision for but a short time. He cast the spell again, and then yet another time but nothing appeared before him. He sighed and decided to head back to his companions when he heard a small crunch behind him and he whipped around, holding his Keyblade diagonally across his chance and an unseen weapon glanced off of it. The weapon flew back to its owners hands and Sora could at last see through the snow a man garbed in the white robe of a ninja with a mop of red hair. "Not very stealth-like for a ninja!"

"And you're apparently not very observant when it comes to tracking people or you would have found me much sooner." said the man who was concealed behind the white cloak. Sora briefly lowered his Keyblade. There was something about the man's voice that indicated he was not here to quarrel with the Keyblade Master.

"Who are you?" Sora demanded of the man and he let out a small chuckle. Sora didn't like the sound of it and held the Oathkeeper defensively across his chest.

"I'm the one you're seeking, who else?" the man said, cocking his head a bit, only discernable due to his red hair.

"You're…the Flaming Edge?" Sora asked in disbelief and the man nodded. "Are you a spy?!" The main shook his head and chortled. "If you're not a spy then who are you?!"

"I'm simply a man who seeks to better a world. Come now Sora, must we waste time on trivialities." Sora froze, his blue eyes sparkling like frozen diamonds in the air around him.

"How…how did you know my name?!" Sora asked with a slight amount of fear.

"I've been searching for the Keyblade Master quite a time now." the Flaming Edge said to him. Sora gave no response and merely pointed his glittering white Keyblade at the man. He grunted and an invisible shard of ice fired in the direction of the redhead. "Mirage!" There was no real noise except for the clink of his ice pellet hitting the mountainside. But Sora knew in an instant what was coming next and twisted around, blocking the man's blow. Sora then swiped his Keyblade out but found that it passed through nothing but air. The man had already gone somewhere else.

"Where are you, you coward?! Don't you dare hide from me?!" Sora yelled and the white object with flaming red hair came hurtling down at him from the sky. Sora blocked it with the Keyblade and happened to get a glance at the man's attacking weapon. It was surely strange and seemed to be a large staff with a shuriken attached to the edge of it. Sora pushed upward and the man flipped off, landing a few feet away from Sora.

"Quite a performance!" the Flaming Edge said, and though Sora couldn't see hi, he could tell the man was smirking. "I don't want to fight you Sora."

"Oh yeah, let's see how you like this?!" Sora said, running forward a little and leaping up into the air. However, when he reached the midpoint of his jump the man sighed.

"Maybe then, we'll meet another day." the white-robed adversary said to him before raising a new weapon to the sky, a weapon that seemed to be the color of a flame. "Blaze!!" And there was a large column of flame for a few moments before it vanished and Sora's Keyblade once more sliced through empty air. He spun around, slicing his Keyblade through the area.

"Come back here! Don't you hide from me!" Sora screamed, knowing full well his shouts were echoing down the mountain. He whipped around, looking for any sign of his quarry and noticed he was able to see clearly, the snow was at last clearing and the sun was shining on the mountaintops. However, Sora could also see that the man was nowhere to be found. He heard a padding of footsteps behind him and whipped around, pointing the Oathkeeper at the incoming being. He stopped short when he saw it was Donald.

"Wak! What was that for?!" Donald yelled. Sora grinned sheepishly and apologized. Mulan gave him a look that asked what he was doing up here.

"Oh…I met that guy…'The Flaming Edge'." Sora said and all three looked taken aback.

"Gawrsh…did ya get him?" Goofy asked. Sora shook his head and apologized.

"But…I don't think he's a bad guy." There was a pause between them all before Mulan at last suggested they should head down the mountain and go back to the Imperial City. They all agreed and began to set off down the mountain. But before they left, Sora looked back to see where the man might be…but found nothing.

On the very peak of the Tung-Shao mountains, the Flaming Edge was watching carefully. To him, the time had come and it was time for the chicken to fly the coop.

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Author's Note: Wow…if I keep on like this my chapters will be too big for me. But the next chapter should be shorter. Also, as of this chapter, Twisted Souls is officially longer that Lineage of the Key. I hope you liked the intro of my new OC who will play a big role later…but I won't say yet what it is. And I won't tell you what that final enigmatic sentence means either. So, please review and Dare to Be Silly. And, oh yes, the final result of the poll is… (drumroll)…Treasure Planet!!! So look forward to seeing Jim Hawkins in Part II of Twisted Souls.

**EXPLANATION: Hearts is a semi-complicated that is learned more through playing than description but still. Often played with four players each player receives 13 cards. The person with the 2 of Clubs starts play and you must play a Club if you have it. If you do not you play anything that is not worth points. The player with the highest numbered card of the suit played takes the cards and starts the next turn (Ace is the highest). Now, one cannot play a Heart until Hearts is broken, or in other words, until one runs out of the suit played first and decides to play a Heart. If you receive a Heart by taking the hand you receive a point for every Heart collected. Also, the Queen of Spades is worth 13 points. Points are a bad thing. Therefore, the person with the least amount of points wins. However, if one person receives all 13 Hearts and the Queen of Spades it is called "Shooting the Moon" in which case all other players but that person receive 26 points and that player gets 0. I hope this clears up a few things.**


	13. Chapter 12: Dearly Beloved

**DISCLAIMER: Yeah, yeah, on we go. But I seriously don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Tung-Shao pass, Mulan, or the **_**H.R.M.S. Pearl**_**. Those belong to Squeenix, China, Disney, and King Mickey Mouse respectively.**

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Chapter 12

Dearly Beloved

"_Two reeds together are stronger than one."_

-The Emperor of China

The trip down the mountain took much less time than it had to go up it. The snow had at last dissipated, making it far easier to walk and trudge through the now clumping piles of snow and ice that littered the ground. That still didn't stop Donald from complaining more than once about how his feet were frozen and Sora offering to fry his feet with fire magic if he didn't shut up. Goofy just told Mulan they really cared about each other a lot, which was the reason they always fought with each other. After that, Sora and Donald ceased to fight as though refusing to believe any such notion whatsoever. Nevertheless, the journey down the mountains was only halfway done as nightfall began to settle on the wearisome group of four. That was when Goofy had a truly inspirational idea. All four of the members gathered onto Goofy's shield and at last he pushed them down the mountain, sliding on the smooth slope of snow until at last they bottomed out at the village.

Exhausted, and yet feeling accomplished, the four set off back for home. They had just finished dragging their feet to the checkpoint where the Gummi Ship lay when they ran into a contingent of soldiers led by Shang. Shang embraced Mulan while the trio just slumped against the hull of their Gummi Ship. When at last the two had finished embracing each other both Shang and Mulan faced them.

"I decided to come looking for the four of you when you hadn't arrived by nightfall." Shang told the group and Sora gave him a kind-of delusional half-smile. "What of the spy in the mountains?" Mulan gave a glance to Sora but he didn't seem able to answer, nor did Donald and Goofy for all three of them were already fast asleep. Mulan giggled a bit at the sight and turned towards Shang.

"Sora was the only one that met him…so you might want to ask him when he's awake." Mulan answered the captain. He nodded while also giving a sigh. For extremely fine soldiers, the three of them were extraordinarily lazy.

"All right…Chien-Po!" Chien-Po ambled over to the captain and saluted. Shang told him to be at ease. "Take these three to the palace and place them in my chambers so that they may sleep in comfort." Chien-Po nodded and picked up the slumbering trio, beginning to carry them all the way to the palace where they would sleep comfortably.

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The _Falcon_, or more appropriately named _H.R.M.S. Pearl_ was floating through space on its slow travel to Enchanted Dominion. Mickey had split off from his two female companions in order to take time to rest. As strong of a king and Keyblader he was, he still needed to rest after those jolts of lightning he had nearly received from Madam Mim in the battle. Therefore, meanwhile Demora and Kairi were chatting happily in the galley of the ship: about life and, of course, about love.

"You think Sora's okay?" Kairi asked her friend and Demora sighed, placing her elbow on the table and giving a stern glance to Kairi. Kairi giggled a bit at her foolish thoughts. Sora would most definitely be okay; he was the Keyblade Master after all. Demora just sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"When did it happen?" Demora asked quietly and yet with a determination as fierce as a storm.

"Excuse me?" Kairi asked, confused and slightly surprised by the sudden interrogation.

"You know, when did you fall in love with Sora? When did Sora fall in love with you? I've never really heard the full story." Demora said before she twisted her body around in her chair to face Kairi. The look on her face clearly said she really wanted to hear the story. For what reason, Kairi didn't know whatsoever but as the story was one of the proudest things to tell, if not for herself then because of what Sora had done, she decided to tell it. So she cleared her throat.

"Seventeen years ago, Radiant Garden was attacked, causing it to become Hollow Bastion. I had already left before then, sent away to Destiny Islands by Xehanort to discover, as I take it, the connection between the Princesses of Heart and the Keyblade Master. I found them all right. Riku was meant to be the Keyblade Master at that time…Over the next nine years I grew to knew these boys and became friends with them…it was only a year before our first adventure that I began to realize I was developing different feelings for Sora. I didn't know at the time if Sora had been feeling the same but I always saw how he and Riku were fighting over me half the time and I thought that maybe he did. Then, one night, a storm struck the islands."

"I remember that, I was only eight years old at the time. I was so scared and frightened. I remember running to find my mother but I couldn't find her anywhere." Demora said suddenly and Kairi nodded at the girl. Then she continued on with her tale.

"Anyway, that night Riku was lost to the darkness, making Sora the Keyblade Master. And I…I lost my heart to the Heartless. The last thing I remember seeing was Sora standing there in the Secret Place. He called out to me but that was all I remember. I was in darkness for so long but for some reason, I could feel Sora's heart resonating with mine and I could clearly feel his feelings for me. I tried to call out to him once or twice but he never responded…well, I mean he told me that he saw illusions of me during that time but…I don't know. Then there was one day, in the darkness I remembered the story my grandmother had told me and I guess it truly resonated with Sora. He came to Hollow Bastion and finally found my body and my heart at last responded. Then, when Riku had been defeated by Sora he took the Keyblade and stabbed himself in the heart to free mine. Some people, the idiots, believe that Sora was weak and that was why his heart couldn't survive the rush of darkness…but that's not true.

"You see, we all have darkness in our hearts and no matter how strong your heart is that Keyblade would have drawn out its darkness. Still, I woke up to find Sora fading. I didn't want to let him go but Riku broke free after we met Ansem and helped me, Donald, and Goofy escape. At last we made it to the Entrance Hall but the Heartless were after us. Then I noticed that one of the Heartless seemed familiar and wouldn't hurt us. It was Sora. I promised to protect him and as I did so he came back…I'm not exactly sure how. Since then, the two of us have always had our hearts connected."

"Wow…" Demora said in awe, now staring off slightly into space. She guessed that compared to Kairi and Sora's story, her own story seemed like the most boring thing in the whole entire universe. "Does it stink that you have to be away from him for so long?"

"Not really, because our hearts are connected, almost as though our memories are like the links in the chain that connect us together. I mean, I feel a little sad about our wedding being called off and all that, but for the most part, as long as I know I'll see Sora again, nothing else matters." Kairi smiled at her younger friend and Demora smiled back.

But the feeling didn't last very long as soon an alarm blared in the galley and the both of them sprung up and raced to the cockpit where Mickey was already activating the ship's radar to find out what was going on. Kairi and Demora slid into chairs on either side of him and turned to face him.

"We have an unknown ship approaching from abaft. I don't know whose it is or what their doing out here, but I don't really want to find out." Mickey stated hurriedly and Kairi comprehended everything clearly. She turned her own line of vision to the screen in the cockpit and began twiddling with a few of the controls that Sora had taught her to use. Very soon, a picture of the ship that was gaining on their rear was displayed. Kairi felt a sharp pang in her head and her heart. She _knew_ that ship.

"Captain Hook…" Kairi muttered under her breath but Mickey still seemed to catch it.

"Oh no! I don't know if he's working for Maleficent but if he is we better get moving. Take your stations ladies." Mickey ordered them as he began to push on the throttle of the Gummi Ship to outpace the incoming pirate ship. Mickey threw every switch and pulled out all of the stops but still the ship was gaining on them. Demora was quickly looking over the view screen. She had been watching until the ship was within ten meters of their ship before Demora's face paled.

"Your Majesty, they have cannons." Demora said and Mickey also looked at the screen. He grimaced at the thought as the first round of cannonade was fired at their ship. The shells and cannon balls lurched the ship in all directions as the bombardment buckled the hull of the ship slightly. Regardless, they were still intact and no worse for the wear. But while they were idling, the _Jolly Roger_ was looming closer and preparing its second round of bombardment. Kairi face the king.

"What do we do?" Kairi said. "That's gonna hit us anymore, we have to do something!" Mickey adopted a scowl on his face and quickly summoned his Keyblade in a flash of golden light.

"We fight!" Mickey announced to his small crew and Kairi quickly summoned her own Keyblade while Demora ran to grab her katana from her room. Just after Demora left, the ship lurched and both Kairi and the King were bucked forward and fell face-first onto the ground. As they got up Kairi looked at the display screen and saw that it looked slightly fuzzy and that Captain Hook and his crew were boarding the _Pearl_. Both of the Keyblade wielders ran out into the hallway and down to the engine room where a group of pirates were gathering around a gaping hole in the ship's wall. Captain Hook, still dressed in red was barking orders to them.

"Find the princess!" Hook ordered his men. "I want her alive and unspoiled so be quick about it!" The men gave a great roar of triumph and began to charge their way up the stairs to where Kairi and the king lay in wait. Before they had even so much as set a foot on the top stop, both of them sent a large electrical current through the metal steps that shocked the pirates to no end. As the pirates were reeling from the hit Mickey leapt from the shadows and knocked one of them on the head. He tumbled down the steps, taking the rest of them with him. Kairi then joined the king in sliding down the banister to the pirates' level at last. As soon as they saw them however, the pirates were back in action.

They all unsheathed their swords and swung them out in the duo's direction. Both expertly avoided the incoming attacks and Kairi thrust her Keyblade forward nailing one of them in the gut. He reeled slightly before collapsing unconscious on the ground. That left four more pirates of which Mickey was quickly dispatching one of them as he joined his friend. Now the other three pirates wee running scared and began to back off a bit. Kairi smirked and stepped forward a bit before there was a horrible screeching noise from the engines. Kairi snapped a look to them and realized that they had neglected Captain Hook who was dismantling the engines as they fought. Therefore, it was now the pirates' turn to smirk. Kairi gave a giggle and then both she and Mickey spun around and knocked two of the pirates to the floor simultaneously while taking out the third one with a hit to his…well, we know exactly where.

Kairi and Mickey both smiled at each other with triumph before Kairi noticed something on the ground. A white box with a red ribbon on it that seemed almost perfectly wrapped. Kairi was intent on discovering what it was and so bent down to its level. Mickey had no time to warn her before the box opened of its own accord and a small purple gas came floating out of it. Kairi's eyes stung momentarily as she staggered backward. She saw a great red shape in front of her and she believed it to be Captain Hook, which was why she jabbed at it lightly, only to have her Keyblade batted aside before feeling cold steel pierce her flesh just above her heart and near her shoulder blade. She gasped in pain before at last it took her body and she passed out.

Mickey leapt at the figure of Captain Hook as he bent down to grab Kairi, but his anger got the better of him. Unable to pay attention to his surroundings, a pirate stood up and knocked him on the head. Hook cackled loudly.

"At last, time to finally pay my debt to Maleficent and get into her good graces once again!" Captain Hook guffawed loudly and then picked up his pirates and left through the hole on the ship. At last, Demora emerged into the engine room after finally grabbing her katana to find nothing there but the unconscious king. She quickly ran down the stairs and ran up to him, propping him up. He seemed to come to as she did so though he stumbled around a little bit.

"Your Majesty, where's Kairi?" Demora asked concernedly. Mickey looked at her sternly.

"Gone…Hook took her away after stabbing her." Mickey answered and Demora gasped. She knew they had to be far away by now. Mickey gave a quick look to engines. They were slightly damaged but nothing he couldn't fix and the same was with that hole in the exterior. "We have to tell Sora." Mickey leapt up the stairs, Demora following straight after him. After only a minute they reached the cockpit again. Mickey opened the communications channel but all that existed on the channel was static. Mickey tried to contact Disney Castle but still there was static. Demora realized at last.

"Our communications system is shot for now, isn't it?" Demora asked and the king nodded. Demora sighed. Kairi was wounded badly and on Captain's Hook and they couldn't even tell her fiancée. Their ship was broken down and very soon they would be sitting bait for Heartless ships. Sora was going to be pissed.

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However, at that moment, Sora was anything but pissed. He was actually quite cheerful. He had woken up in a large chamber in the palace where he knew he hadn't gone to sleep. A few hours later, he, Donald, and Goofy were fully dressed and fully clean, ready for the wedding of Mulan and Shang which was actually to take place at the palace gates. That didn't mean that everyone was to be invited, but the emperor surely was. It was here that Sora was at last able to meet Mulan's family. And he actually found he quite liked her grandmother.

"Oh, you should have seen it. When we found out Mulan was missing, and in her father's armor no less we worried for ages. Then one day she comes home presenting the sword of Shan-Yu and telling us all these stories about you. I say to her mother 'She goes to war and brings home a sword, why couldn't she bring home a man?' Then Shang shows up and I want to sign up for the next war!" his grandmother told him, Donald, and Goofy who replied to it with raucous laughter. It was around noontime that everybody had assembled for Mulan's wedding. Sora watched in cheerfulness as the wedding took place.

To Sora, it was a little different than the ceremony that he and Kairi had attempted to undergo but it was still a joyous affair nevertheless. Donald was growing a little impatient at the proceedings as he just wanted to get to the reception and try to get some food in his stomach or see if the soon happily married couple would be willing to part with any of their prized gifts. At last, as the sun was in the position that told Sora it was about two o'clock that the ceremony ended and Mulan and Shang were at last married.

Following that was the reception in which both Donald and Goofy went to sate their ever-blooming hunger. Sora chuckled at this and meanwhile decided to go meet some of the guests he didn't know. And as he walked around, it seemed that he was almost as famous as Mulan was. People adored him the moment that they met him and he was more than happy to keep chatting amiably with each of them. At last, Sora found his way to a crying Mushu and a small cricket that Sora assumed was Cri-Kee. Sora quickly questioned why Mushu was crying.

"Oh, my little baby's all grown up and married!" Mushu cried as he blew his nose. Sora quirked an eyebrow and expressed his disbelief that Mulan's marriage was the reason he was crying. "I also lose my pedestal!!!" Sora laughed loudly at this.

"Hey, don't worry about that, Mulan told me about how huge this thing was to you and so apparently she and Shang are combining temples or shrines or whatever which means you get to keep your pedestal." Sora said to him and Mushu stopped crying instantly and went leaping off around the party. Then Sora heard his name called and watched as the newlyweds approached. "Hey, congratulations!"

"Thank you." Shang said before he leaned into Sora. "So, about this spy…" Sora nodded at him and began to tell Shang and Mulan about the encounter he had with "The Flaming Edge" on the mountain and all of the enigmatic statements he had made.

"Then, when I tried to attack him one last time he disappeared in a burst of flame. I don't know about you but he seemed more for running than spying. If he was a spy he would have done a better job at hiding himself." Sora said, shrugging his shoulders the whole time. "I don't think there's anything to worry about from him." He didn't know how right he was until a few seconds later when a high-pitched scream pierced the air. The three of them quickly ran over to the source of the scream and Sora saw instantly that indeed a Heartless had come to the wedding. What was more, it seemed that a whole _army_ of Heartless had come to the wedding as Shadows, Soldiers, Neoshadows, Assault Rider, Nightwalkers, and Rapid Thrusters appeared en masse. Sora quickly summoned his Keyblade and whipped around, slicing through them. He then ordered Mulan and Shang to get all the guests to safety…and to wake Donald and Goofy who had passed out from all their food consumption.

The Neoshadows spun through the air at Sora and Sora used his mind to manipulate the Keyblade into the air around him. He focused the light in its tip and then released the energy, scattering many beams of light across the crowd of Heartless, eliminating all of them easily save for a few Assault Riders. Sora regained control of the Oathkeeper until he saw a large chunk of ice fly past him and strike the Assault Riders. He looked and smiled at Donald and Goofy who had awoken. He then took to scanning around looking for any Heartless that may be encroaching on the area. Donald was the first to see it.

"Sora!!" Donald yelled and Sora snapped a look to the sky where a renegade Storm Rider was hurtling at him at a very fast speed. Sora braced himself for the impact as he knew that even his Keyblade couldn't protect him here. But then a voice cracked through the air like a whip.

"Be gone from here foul creature!" the voice yelled and Sora saw two flashes of light fly at the Storm Rider, hitting its horns and its belly. The Storm Rider promptly disappeared as the weapons returned at lightning quick speed to the hands of their owner where they promptly vanished. Sora looked in the direction of where the wielder for he could swear that the weapons had a keychain on them. But there was nothing there…and so Sora thought he might have imagined it. He scratched his head and turned to his companions as the guests began coming outside again.

"I wonder why Maleficent is attacking weddings." Sora said with an inquisitive tone. Goofy was the first to proffer an answer.

"It must be because when people are married their hearts are joined and grow stronger and it would make Maleficent's job harder." Goofy told Sora and he agreed to that line of thinking. But Donald was quick to disagree.

"No, no! It must be because at weddings people are caught off-guard making them easier to attack." Sora also agreed with this but decided to let it pass by and instead decided to check the guests were okay. He was pretty sure they were all fine and then sank into his thoughts. _Who had saved them? The voice sounded familiar._ Sora then heard Donald call his name and he walked over to the duck. He saw the duck pointing to something and saw it sitting there: a Holy-G Gummi Block. Sora walked over to it and examined it. He looked to the sky. Someone out there…was certainly their guardian angel. He looked to his companions and smiled. They were about to set off once again for Wonderland…and they still had no idea that Kairi was half-dead in the brig aboard the _Jolly Roger_.

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Author's Note: Yes, I put in some fluff as well as some heavy stuff. I know there are some questions and feel free to ask them or answer them if you know what they are. If anyone is wondering why I put in that segment about some people think Sora couldn't handle the Keyblade stabbing his heart in Hollow Bastion, it is because one of my friends thinks that as foolish as it is. No offense to all Riku fans but I think Sora is a hell of a lot stronger than Riku is (and if you've played Re:CoM, Riku gets the crap beaten out of him more than Sora). Now, in the meantime, the next chapter will finally reveal who Gentai and Riku are hunting as well as bringing them back after an absence of practically twelve chapters. So you can guess until then who they're after and where they'll be (though I've already told you). Now please review and I will be very happy. Dare to Be Silly.


	14. Chapter 13: Picking Up the Trail

**DISCLAIMER: I hope you realize by now I'm just having fun with this and I don't like giving disclaimers because I don't own Kingdom Hearts...oh wait, I just gave one.**

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Chapter 13

Picking Up the Trail

"_Another dream about him."_

-Roxas

_He was running down the corridor, sweat leaking from his brow. The silver haired boy was gasping for air, his heart issuing pain at every beat, as though it were about to explode, consumed by the feelings of anger, of hatred, of jealousy, of darkness. At last he stopped to catch his breath in the wide open chapel._

_"Wh-why? It was mine." The boy asked in disbelief as he came to his stop. Then there was a deep voice from behind him._

_"Know this. Only the heart that is strong and true shall win the Keyblade." The man said and the silver-haired boy could see he was garbed in a brown cloak with no real distinctive markings on it._

_"Are you saying my heart's weaker than his?"_

_"For that instant it was. However…" The silver-haired boy listened intently. "It can become stronger. You showed no fear in stepping through the door to darkness; it held no terror for you." The silver-haired boy shook his head, willing to give up anything for this chance of power over his once-best friend._

_"What should I do?" he asked the man._

_"It's really quite simple. Let your heart, your being become darkness itself." And the man drew closer to him, ready to consume his heart as a Heartless does._

"NO!!" Riku cried out quickly, snapping awake under the starlit sky and the glowing fire of their campsite. He was breathing heavily and sweat was dripping down his face. There it was. The dream had occurred again, only this time it was extended, not as long as previous nights where the dream had occurred, and it scared him. There was rustling next to him and Riku sat up, turning to face the staunchly awake form of Gentai. Gentai was staring straight at him as though he were a cat that knew no rest. Riku shifted uneasily under his companion's gaze and flexed his fingers, making sure they were okay. The silence was taut between the two and Riku said nothing.

"The dreams again?" Gentai said, breaking the silence. All Riku could do was nod at his friend, affirming the notion that the young boy already had. "They're becoming more frequent."

"I know…" Riku snapped in a hushed tone and Gentai didn't react to it, his face bathed eerily in the firelight. The crackling flames whispered around them and nobody said a word. Most of the camp was silent in the moonlight due to sleep after a hard day's work. Gentai shifted the weight of his leg around.

"What do you think it means?" Gentai asked Riku and Riku shook his head. He pursed his lips as well and put his hands together in front of his face.

"I'm not sure…but it feels almost as though Xehanort's Heartless is trying to pull me back in…back to the darkness." Riku sighed and stared at the whirring and crackling flames. "They're getting longer too. That time it almost came to the point when he possessed me…I panicked when I saw it." Gentai nodded and leaned back against the wooden bench that had been made just a few days ago.

"I thought Xehanort was gone." Gentai said clearly and Riku didn't make a comment to it for about a minute. Gentai thought it best not to push the subject further on his friend and instead waited for an answer he thought would never come. But Riku did indeed answer.

"He is gone…but, even after years, there are some wounds that time cannot mend." And almost as though on instinct, or as if he felt a twinge, he reached for his back and felt something there. Gentai nodded, knowing exactly what was troubling him: the scar that Xemnas had given him in the final battle he and Sora had fought against the Superior. Gentai remembered clearly that they had to stop a day in their travels because the scar seared Riku's skin and nearly had him whimpering in pain. He explained that it happened every year on the anniversary of Xemnas' defeat, but still, it worried Gentai. Riku now turned to Gentai and posted his own query. "And what about you, can't sleep?"

"No, I can't." Gentai said, shaking his head. "I don't know what it is, but my eyes refuse to rest, refuse to close. It's like I'm enveloped in a constant daytime…or a constant nightfall. I want so much just to close my eyes, to give my eyes some rest but I can't. There's no veil anymore." Riku had no response to that, but similar to how Gentai feared for him, he feared for Gentai. Gentai had been unable to sleep for a month now and though fatigue did not show on the young sixteen year old's face Riku still feared that it would eventually catch up to him. What disturbed him more was that he did not know why he couldn't sleep, but sometimes things were best to be left alone.

"Five days here and we've barely made any progress." Riku said angrily and Gentai nodded. "Some of the men trust us but…meanwhile the Huntsman is all cushy in Ratcliffe's cabin because he can 'provide detailed reports on the savages'." Riku scoffed loudly and even Gentai chuckled.

"Smith's gone again." Gentai stated and Riku scoffed loudly once again.

"No doubt off to visit Pocahontas!" Riku said with a jesting tone. He leaned back and shut his eyes as Gentai did the same and began to remember just what had transpired the first five days they were here.

The waters and sands of The New World lay undisturbed, whether it had been for centuries or merely a few days or weeks was unknown. But regardless of that, all had been silent. The sun was shining high in the sky and made the sands glisten and shine, making the world a beautiful place. This scene was soon illuminated by a large burst of light as a keyhole appeared in midair with no explanation for its appearance. No one was there however to see it. Only a few moments later, Riku and Gentai stepped out from the portal of light and on to the sands. They took a moment searching around for the Huntsman, surely he was here, unless Riku had a misdirection. Gentai was the first to comment on that.

"Hey, there's nothing here, man." Gentai stated. Riku grimaced, hoping he hadn't assumed the location wrong. Gentai looked at him with something that seemed similar to expectancy. Riku closed his eyes and sniffed around. There was nothing for many miles up the coastline until he at last hit the scent of men, closer to a forest that both Keyblade wielders could barely see in the distance. It was there he sensed a small amount of fetid darkness but nothing that would constitute the Huntsman. He turned his scent from those men and sniffed along what was the edge of the forest. He eventually reached once again a conglomeration of men, but they smelled different. Nothing of darkness, just not the same as the other men on the shore.

Riku shook his head and Gentai sighed. Riku once more regained his bearings and extended his scent again and smelled more small amounts of darkness in the forest that they saw. But as he scanned along he noticed a change that had taken place in the scents that rested ahead on the shoreline. A new scent, one of immeasurable darkness, was lingering among the men there. Riku raised his arm and pointed down the coastline, cocking his head at Gentai. Gentai smirked and summoned Pale Twilight while Riku replied in kind by also summoning the Way to Dawn. Together, the two nodded at each other and immediately set off at a fast trot across the beach. As they ran along, the wind whistling through their hair, they were soon coming close to approaching a high wooden wall that seemed to have been made from very tall sycamore trees.

When they got close enough to the wall they noticed men milling about, not Heartless but regular men who did not reek of darkness save for the normal amount found in a person's heart. Riku held out his hand and Gentai stopped, his knees bending slightly as he did so. Gentai examined the men around there and immediately released his Keyblade from his grasp.

"You sure you were right, Riku?" Gentai said, facing his silver-haired friend. "I mean, these are just normal guys."

"No…he's here, inside this…uh…fortress." Riku said hesitantly. Someone however had heard their voices and turned to them. The man, a red haired fellow, called over a companion of his who was black haired and muttered something to him. The two then ambled over to Riku and Gentai. Riku quickly dismissed his Keyblade as the men approached them. The two assumed faces of innocence until the men at last reached them.

"Oi!" The red-headed man yelled it what seemed to be an Irish accent. His black-haired friend said nothing but looked over the young men. "What are you doing shirking off around here? Ratcliffe'll tan your hides if you don't and we do not want him in a particularly foul mood today." Riku and Gentai stammered and glanced each other, hoping that one of them would have an idea what to say. The black haired man approached them.

"Oh, let 'em go Ben. They're clearly tired." the black haired man said and the redhead, Ben, merely sighed at this. "Though Ben has a point. I'm Lon, I don't think we met on the voyage over here."

"We're…er…" Riku stammered out, unable to find an appropriate response to that. Gentai quickly picked up the slack with a feat of improvisation the likes of which Riku had never seen.

"We mostly keep to ourselves unless the situation calls for it. I was, uh…" Gentai searched around and saw shovels in the men's hands. "I was uh digging around when Riku, was it, came here and joined me and now we're friends."

"Well, it certainly is good to have friends here in the New World." Ben told them but then his eyes scrunched up. Gentai gave him an inquisitive look. "Where're your shovels lad?"

"We lost them." Riku said abruptly. "We were digging over there and something attacked us and we dropped our shovels and ran a bit." Ben and Lon nodded, seeming to accept this unlikely story from the duo.

"Well, I can kind of understand what with those _savages_ about." Lon said and then Ben walked around and clapped both Riku and Gentai on the shoulders.

"Well lads, if you've lost your shovels best come with us to get some of our extras and start the digging again." Ben said, smiling at the both of them. "Where did ye say you were diggin'?" Riku pointed out in the direction they had come from and Ben squinted at the mediocre sized hole they had made.

"We didn't find anything," Gentai answered the forthcoming question, sweat all of a sudden perspiring on his cheeks and forehead. Ben nodded and began leading the two along, Lon slightly ahead of them. Ben chatted amiably to the two fellows that had just inconspicuously joined their ranks. He was chatting on and on so much that both Gentai and Riku were able to put together a picture of this scene. These men were here searching for gold with their greedy governor and meanwhile they believed they were under threat from "savages". That was enough to tide the two Keyblade wielders over until they reached a rather small hole with a young man inside of it with a brown cap on.

"Oi, Thomas!" Ben yelled down into the hole and the man, Thomas, looked up. "Ye wouldn't happen to have any extra shovels here for our new friends Riku and…er…"

"Gentai." Gentai responded, almost forgetting that he had mention Riku's name but not his own. The man Thomas searched around a bit and did indeed notice two shovels sitting in the hole.

"Here you go, Ben." Thomas said and both Riku and Gentai could sense that the young man had a sense of innocence and naivety about him. Thomas through the two shovels to Ben who in turn handed them to Riku and Gentai. All three of their, for lack of a better word, friends turned away and began digging again. Riku cocked his head to the right and Gentai nodded. The two inched away to a clear patch of land where there were no holes dotting the surface. As the two dug their shovels into the ground, Riku leaned in toward Gentai.

"Nice work there, man. I thought we were sunk for sure but you put it together pretty fast." Riku said with a smile on his face. Gentai shrugged.

"I'm just kind of glad that Ben was a talker or else he would have noticed me creating that hole in the distance with a Magnet spell." Gentai said and then he sighed. "I'm glad you gave me a direction to dig that hole."

"See, we make a good team whenever we work together." Riku said but then he looked around quickly. "Unfortunately we can't do much more investigating yet so let's dig so as to not arouse suspicion." Gentai nodded in agreement and both dug their shovels deeper into the ground with their foot and heaved the dirt out with a strain of the muscles. To their knowledge they would only dig so long as there were people around and then they'd leave at once to search out the Huntsman…but unbeknownst to them these people could dig gold for hours.

Two hours later, and a sizably big hole later Gentai and Riku were standing on the exterior of their magnificently deep hole panting. Gentai looked much worse for the wear as he was leaning on his spade for support. His eyes were flickering in and out of focus for a few moments until at last he regained himself.

"Man, this is way too much physical labor!" Gentai screamed, but not too loudly, and he chucked his shovel to the side. Riku laughed sourly at this comment and almost began to lean on his own shovel for rest.

"You're a Keyblade wielder, you know physical labor!" Riku said as a complete jest and Gentai shot him the dirtiest scowl he could muster up.

"Fighting is different than digging." Gentai snarled out and even Riku was tempted to take a step back. Gentai looked around at the earth around them and its pockmarked land. "Riku, can't we just-"

"No!" Riku answered promptly, stifling whatever suggestion Gentai might have been about to propose. "We can't let on more than we know. If there's one thing I learned from Sora is that we need to blend in. Besides, I'm wondering about these supposed 'savages'."

"You can wonder all you want but I'd rather take the Huntsman down and get the hell out of here. The sooner the better." Gentai said before a new ravishing idea hit him once again. "Hey, Riku, then can't we just-"

"NO!! Absolutely not! You want them to trust us don't you?" Riku yelled with vehemence and Gentai was sorely tempted to curse out loud. "We can't reveal that there's probably no gold here because then we'll be hunted down and shot or…whatever weapons they use here." Gentai looked with exasperation to Riku and Riku just shrugged at the matter. Then Gentai froze and his eyes opened wide, not in fear, but rather a sense of surprise. There was a large shadow looming over Riku and a man dressed in a fancy purple suit behind him. Riku noticed the expression and turned around to face the portly man. He stumbled backward and nearly fell into the hole.

"You lads busy?" the rather large man said in a deeper tone than Ben, Lon, or Thomas. Riku and Gentai immediately snapped to, realizing that this must have been the Governor Ratcliffe that Ben had rambled on about. They saluted him.

"Yes sir!" They responded simultaneously and he gave them a satisfied look before walking off. Riku's nose twitched at the man's departure.

"He stinks." Riku stated and Gentai looked at him with a muddled expression. "It's not a lot but there is a certain aura of darkness around him. He must be meeting with the Huntsman…speak of the Devil." For sure enough, as they watched Governor Ratcliffe walk away, they also saw him walk up to a man clad in green and brown clothing with a feather in the hat he wore on his head: the Huntsman. The two talked to each other and the unfortunate duo saw Ratcliffe point over at them briefly. The Huntsman looked in their direction and both could tell he was smirking. Moment's later the two were walking back over. Gentai's fingers itched to summon his Keyblade but a look and nudge from Riku stopped him; it wasn't yet the time.

"So I take it you know these…men?" Ratcliffe said and the Huntsman nodded.

"Troublemakers at the very least. I offered them a chance to clean up their act by digging here. I promised them a pardon from His Majesty King James should they behave." the Huntsman said and Riku scowled. Ratcliffe was already playing into his hands and would no doubt be able to control the Heartless anytime now…or be devoured by them.

"Well, it seems they've only gone so far as to dig this one hole." Ratcliffe said with a sneer of disgust on his face. "If you want that pardon I suggest you trying working harder, we need to find that gold!" Ratcliffe then walked away but the Huntsman remained. Both Gentai and Riku held out their hands to summon their Keyblades but the Huntsman held up a hand.

"I wouldn't try that if I were you." the Huntsman said, a wicked smile on his lips. "You see, I have it in good with the governor and were anything, ah, unfortunate to happen towards me you mightn't live to see a moment or two more." Both stopped and glanced at each other.

"Playing into your hands are they?" Riku asked with repugnance. "You know as well as we do that there is probably _no_ gold here." The Huntsman laughed and nodded his head. Riku was sure that had he been less of an enemy toward Riku he would have patted his head.

"That's the point. When Ratcliffe learns this he'll be so overcome by hatred and anger, induced by the savages of this land that the Heartless will devour him and turn him into a Heartless." the Huntsman said savagely.

"Why not just send Pete to do that, Hunty?" Gentai asked scornfully and the Huntsman winced at being called such a name.

"I believe Maleficent trusts me far more than she does that bumbling fool!" the Hunstman said now becoming apoplectic at the mention of the comparison between the two. Riku and Gentai smirked at the Huntsman who regained composure and put in his last laugh.

"Just remember, no dirty work. Ratcliffe wants to get rid of the savages so I'll give him what he wants. For the meantime, I trust you two not to get in trouble. If you survive the week, we can settle our business then." the Hunstamn told them before calmly turning around and striding back toward Ratcliffe.

"So that's what he meant when he said 'The New World', it was the name of a world…not really a new one or whatever." Gentai said and Riku concurred with that statement. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, there was the cry of "Savages!!!" and both whipped their heads toward the forest. An arrow shot straight for the duo of them and Riku pushed his hands forward, a honeycombed shield forming around Gentai and shielding him from the arrow's strike. "No time to stop now!"

Both Riku and Gentai summoned their Keyblades as the men around them began to grab their guns and shoot at the Native Americans. Some of the Native Americans were felled to the blast of gunpowder but many more resisted. Gentai looked up into the crowd of Native Americans. It was strange that he had not sensed it…but that might mean…

"Riku, I don't think these guys have any malice in them." Gentai said firmly to his companion and Riku looked at him exasperatedly.

"Are you crazy?! They're attacking!" Riku responded, preparing to fire off a shot of Dark Aura.

"But look at them, do you smell darkness?" Riku sniffed and had indeed found nothing. "They just want to protect their lands." Riku nodded half-heartedly before Gentai made the decision that perhaps they should try to find where these men had come from. "There's probably not as much darkness there so we won't be under the Huntsman's lock and key."

"All right. But just this time will I listen to a whim of yours." Gentai smiled and the two skirted around the edge of the battlefield, staying out of the eyesight of any of the settlers until at last they reached the forest where the Native Americans were beginning to retreat. Without a word from Riku, Gentai pushed into the thicket after them trying desperately to keep up with them but was soon left behind in the brush. He stumbled after a rogue root tripped him up and landed face first in the ground. He got up and brushed off his soiled clothing. He looked around and noticed something: he was alone.

"Riku!" Gentai called. "Riku!!" There was no answer as he walked through the twisted brambles and bushes of the forest. He was beginning to worry when he at last bumped into someone and fell to the ground.

"Hey, watch where you're going there!" said a voice that wasn't distinctly Riku's. Gentai looked up and saw a strong, muscular man with blonde hair and a burnished blue helmet. He seemed to be of spectacular build and Gentai even stood in slight awe of this man's presence. The man was looking down at him with something of curiosity. "Hmm…you don't look like any Native American." Gentai wondered for a moment why this man was using those terms when everyone else seemed to call them savages.

"That's because I'm not." Gentai said while quickly bringing himself to his feet. "I'm Gentai Tanaka." Gentai extended a hand and the man looked him in the eye and shook it firmly.

"Captain John Smith." the man told him and Gentai smiled. "What are you doing out here? I don't remember you from our crew so, who are you?"

"I'm…" Gentai sighed, deciding there was no way around it. He held up his Keyblade. "I'm a Keyblade wielder who's come to this world in search of the Huntsman with my friend Riku. Unfortunately, he's in with your governor so no go there. But anyway, we were attacked by the savages…I mean, Native Americans and we sought to follow them. I was separated from my companion then." John laughed at the story.

"Interesting. You've spent only a few minutes with my men and decided they were 'savages'?" Gentai looked at him strangely and the captain decided to answer him. "I'm a bit of an explorer and being in the New World makes my thirst for exploration soar. As I was searching I ran into one of them. Her name's Pocahontas. They're not savages at all."

"Hmmm…interesting. Have you some feelings for this woman already?" Gentai asked. For some reason he felt he could trust John and thus did he ask that. John seemed a little flustered at the question and refused to answer it.

"I'm seeing her again tomorrow, you could come if you like." Gentai humbly accepted and the two headed back to camp. Gentai thought for sure that Riku would be at camp but he was nowhere to be found. Gentai would have gone looking for him but the sun was sinking quickly below the horizon and Gentai didn't want to risk it whatsoever. When they arrived they met a great clamor of men cheering about how they had "beaten back the savages" and how John should have seen it. Gentai laughed along with them but the Huntsman was keeping an eye on him the whole time. That night, Gentai remained awake, as he had started doing frequently, worrying about Riku. It was around midnight that John came to speak to him.

"How are you Gentai?" John asked him as he sat down next to him, legs stretched out. Gentai shrugged and John gave a small chuckle. "I'm quite glad I met you in that forest. I knew from the beginning that Huntsman fellow wasn't a good man but now my suspicions have been confir-" Suddenly John cut off and Gentai saw climbing out of his bag a raccoon carrying a yellow biscuit of sorts. "Meeko, give that back!" The raccoon, Meeko, refused and instead ran away and near the governor's cabin. Gentai laughed.

"Well, that governor's in for a treat!" Gentai said before reverting to a somber state. John noticed the look on his face and realized what he was worried about,

"Hey, I'm sure your friend's fine. We'll find him tomorrow. We'll leave first thing in the morning. Get some sleep until then." Gentai nodded as John left. He knew of course that he would get no sleep but the comfort of the thought of it was enough. So he at least rested his eyes not knowing the world of dreams or of sleep. It was near the crack of dawn that he found John lightly tapping him. He opened his eyes in a snap and stood up. Together, as the other men were yawning and rustling they set off for the forest they had met in the day before. John took Gentai in farther than the day before until they reached a waterfall. Gentai looked out over the river and saw a young woman standing on the opposite side of the bank. For a moment Gentai felt for sure he was dreaming until John helped move him forward across the lake.

"Pocahontas." John said and he performed an Indian greeting which Pocahontas returned before fixing her gaze on Gentai. "Oh, this is my friend Gentai, we met after you and I parted yesterday."

"He is familiar…" Pocahontas said. Gentai wondered why she would say that if they had never met before until, after sifting through her words, he understood.

"Riku…you met him?" Gentai said but Pocahontas made no response, only looking between the two of them.

"Come with me." Pocahontas said and she began leading them away from the waterfall until they were in a small grotto-like area where a tall willow tree stood. And under the tree's branches was…

"Riku!" Gentai yelled and he ran up to him. Riku nodded at him and when Gentai asked him what happened he explained that he had gone looking for Gentai after he ran into the forest and had gotten lost, meandering his way through until he found Pocahontas and this old willow. And that, led Pocahontas to a reason she had brought John here. The wind began to stir around the quartet and soon a face appeared in the mighty knot of the willow tree.

"_Listen to your heart, you will understand._" the tree sang out and smiled upon the new pair that had arrived under her boughs for the first time. "Hello, John Smith."

"Pocahontas, why is the tree talking to me?" John asked Pocahontas. Pocahontas giggled and told him to talk back. John obliged while Gentai stood idly by and watched the proceeding until at last Grandmother Willow, as she called herself, turned to him.

"And you Gentai Tanaka, wielder of the Keyblade, of the alighted heart." Grandmother Willow said to him and he took a step back. Riku smirked and just nudged Gentai forward to listen.

"How-how do you know my name?" Gentai asked and Grandmother Willow chortled, as well as a tree could.

"I know many things my boy. Such as the fact and basis of your heart." Gentai looked down. He knew, of course, his heart's existence and its point. Riku however, looked at him as though he did not know any of this information. "The first male since Windsor to have pure light and no darkness in his heart. Only the princesses by all rights should be allowed that however, you are also accorded that honor."

"You never told me this!" Riku yelled at Gentai and Gentai shot a look of apology at his friend.

"I never told anyone. I didn't care that anyone should know that…just because I have such strong light doesn't mean anything…even if it is a light no darkness could eclipse." Gentai said and Grandmother Willow picked up the slack.

"Indeed, whether you choose your destiny and listen to your heart is all that matters." Grandmother Willow said. After that, she spoke to the Keyblade wielding duo no more and spoke only to John and Pocahontas. Around noontime the three "settlers" left. What happened the next two days was of no importance to them. John would sneak off to visit Pocahontas and Riku, after receiving a warm welcome from Be, Lon, and Thomas, joined Gentai as they went back to digging holes; this was much to the Huntsman's pleasure of course. It was on the fifth day at last, near noontime that Ratcliffe ordered Riku, Gentai, Ben and Lon to search for Smith who had once again been missing that whole day. So as Riku and Gentai joined them they took Ben and Lon in circles.

"We've been searching all day," Ben complained as they stumbled on near dusk. Riku was at last leading them near Grandmother Willow, Gentai having gone to inform her of their untimely arrival. "And still we've not found Jon, I fear we never will." Gentai emerged from the thicket.

"Gentai, did you see him?" Lon asked the young boy and Gentai shook his head before he stumbled over a root. "What was that?" Gentai got up and massaged his toe before a branch came whipping out of nowhere and struck Ben and Lon on their behinds before tripping them as well. Scared out of their wits, the two fled the scene and Riku and Gentai rolled on the ground in mirth before following after themselves, pretending to be screaming like ninnies.

It was about an hour after the search party had arrived back at the camp that John also arrived to find Governor Ratcliffe in quite a tizzy.

"Sir, we've been searching for days and we've found naught but dirt!" Lon complained to Ratcliffe who was starting to get steamed up.

"I'm starting to believe that there is no gold here." Ben said, angering at this statement.

"Yeah!" Gentai cried, joining in the cacophony and adding to the distrust of the governor. "Why should we continue to dig if there's no gold?! What is it, hiding somewhere?"

"There must be a reasonable explanation." Ratcliffe said, trying to defend himself. He gave a glance to the Huntsman who at last stepped forward into his arena.

"The governor is right…the savages have it. The savages must be hiding the gold from you all, from all of us!" the Huntsman roared and Ratcliffe picked up on this very notion.

"Yes, those savages are trying to hide it from us! That's why they're attacking us! They want the treasure for themselves!" Ratcliffe said and the men seemed to get steamed up about this, agreeing with what the governor was now saying until at last John butted in.

"That's not true!" John said. "The natives don't have any gold. And they're not savages!" The settlers were stunned and silenced at this revelation. "I've met one of them, they can help us. Like this!" John reached into his bag and pulled out a husk of corn and Gentai could almost imagine the butter dripping off of it. He hadn't eaten a proper meal in weeks.

"That's food!" Gentai said and John explained to them how the natives grew it and how they fed their own people until at last Ratcliffe cut them off.

"Forget about that! It's not gold and that gold the savages are keeping is ours!!" Ratcliffe cried. "Any man who goes near another one of those savages will be called a traitor and sentenced to death." With that, all of the men dispersed and began going about their nightly duties. Thus it was, that after five days on The New World that Riku and Gentai found themselves here perched by a campfire, but unable to rest.

Riku lifted his head and opened his eyes, their aquamarine sheen shining clearly through the darkness, much like Gentai's own eyes. He heaved a sigh. After everything they had been through…the Huntsman still held the upper hand. Still, there was hope. The Huntsman had said if they survived the week that he would deal with them then…and now there were only two more days left. Gentai made a sudden movement across from him and Riku looked at him, trying to discern why he would move right now. From reading his body language in the firelight Riku could tell he was nervous regarding something.

"What is it?" Riku asked concernedly. Gentai stopped shifting around and shot Riku a glance.

"Nothing, why would you ask a question like that?" Gentai said with a jesting tone that Riku could tell was masking other facts and other feelings behind him. Riku shot him a disbelieving look.

"Yeah…and I'm a king." Riku said in a half-hearted joke. "Come on, man, tell me." Gentai lowered his emotional guard for a moment, realizing that Riku was asking as though a big brother would ask. Riku sat there patiently and waited for the question or statement to come. It turned out to be the former.

"Riku…" Gentai stared into the fire as he said this, the crackling conflagration consuming his eyes, burning brightly in its reflection. "Do you think…that I could ever be a hero like you or Sora?"

"You think I'm a hero!" Riku scoffed out. He never had thought of himself that way, especially after all he had done. But he saw the seriousness in Gentai's face and felt it was best to answer his friend seriously as well. "I don't know…where did that come from?"

"Well, I mean…you guys are hailed throughout the worlds as saviors and I mean, I've traveled around a lot but I don't think I've really done anything to be a hero. Zeus once offered it but, I mean…what is a hero?"

"A hero…huh?" Riku thought about that statement for a moment. "Well Gentai, a hero depends on the strength of his heart and the choices he makes. I mean, it's like Grandmother Willow said, it all depends on the choices you make and if you listen to your heart. You may become a hero…you may not. I guess, what I'm really trying to say is…" He stood up and placed a hand on Gentai's shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes. "If you want to be a hero, sometimes you can't be one. But I think you can be if you want to be."

"That doesn't really answer my question but thanks for trying to answer anyway." Gentai chuckled out.

"Anytime." Riku said and he shrunk away, back to where he had been sitting before. He closed his eyes again and decided to visit an old pastime of his on this trip. He began sniffing at everyone's scents. He found Gentai's with no problem as it was clearly bathed in light. Ben and Lon were also easy to see in all of their aloofness. Riku had actually grown quite fond of them in all of their ways. But then he smelled something that seemed out of whack and he sat up from his leaning position like a shot, eyes cracking open like a whip.

"What is it?" Gentai asked with a frightened tone. "I don't sense anything so we can't be close to danger."

"Ratcliffe's scent, it's grown closer to the darkness. The Huntsman's scent is gone tonight but it seems he may have given something to Ratcliffe. But there's a scent missing." Riku said and Gentai waved it off.

"I told you, John's off visiting Pocahontas, what with Ratcliffe's threat and all…" Gentai said but Riku stood up and brushed himself of his dirt.

"It's not John…it's Thomas." Riku said and Gentai instantly notched up into high gear. Both immediately set off about camp and exited the loosely secured fortress. They ran and dashed into the forest. Both were deducing the same thing: Ratcliffe must have ordered Thomas to follow John and John was probably at Grandmother Willow with Pocahontas. "If Thomas shoots John we'll all be dead and our work here will be for nothing!"

"I'm worried about something else at this point." Gentai stated through gritted teeth and Riku didn't need or want to ask for an explanation since Gentai was going to give it anyway. "I'm getting a huge vibe here and it is not good. Something's going to happen there and it won't be pretty. Did neither of us think that Ratcliffe is tailing John with Thomas…one of the Native Americans might be tailing Pocahontas."

"Oh, that's not good!" Riku said and Gentai nodded with a quirking of his eyebrows and they set off even faster. It was lucky for them that they knew where Grandmother Willow was. They didn't meet Thomas before they reached the safety of her boughs. But there Gentai and Riku saw a sight that was both happy and yet foreboding, for they knew the consequences. John Smith stood as the wind blew around him, ruffling his blue shirt and pants with his blonde hair and even Gentai would have thought he was kind of handsome…were he not in love with Demora and a guy to say the very least. Pocahontas, meanwhile stood there with here beige dress and copper skin. Her raven black hair flowing in the wind around her and a beautiful blue necklace, shining on her neck. As Riku and Gentai pulled to a halt the two leaned in, embracing each other and they kissed passionately for a moment. But before the kiss could break Gentai felt a twinge in his senses.

But a few seconds later there was a fierce battle cry from the trees and a warrior of the Native American tribe with bear prints on his chest came out of the thicket with a tomahawk. Though Gentai and Riku stood in his way he brushed past them and made straight for John, grappling with the English soldier. The two seemed to be in a futile struggle against each other and both Gentai and Riku could take it no more. Gentai quickly grabbed Smith and Riku grabbed the warrior.

"Kocoum, no!" Pocahontas cried, but all members of the party were deaf to her pleas. Smith tried to back away but Kocoum's resistance was straining even Riku to his wits and his strength's end. Riku tried to pull him away from Smith as Gentai tried to pull Smith to safety.

And then a shot was fired.

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Author's Note: Yay for super long chapters! So, pardon me for any mistake I might have made with the_**Pocahontas**_** portion here since it's been a while since I've seen the movie and the library holds a crappy copy of it, just let me know and I'll fix it. Anyway, I blended a lot of new things in there and a LOT of plot teasers. I hope you were glad to see Gentai and Riku back once again. Yes, they are hunting the Huntsman from **_**Snow White**_** whose world I will call Fabled Countryside because Snow White's House is too bland. Also, there were some new facts about Gentai and his importance. And, did you catch the theme of my story in there? Anyway, please review and sorry for the cliffhanger, but it needed to be done and now we're halfway through Part I. Dare to Be Silly.**

**NOTE: I have updated my profile page and suggest you check it out. OC descriptions will be there as well as brief summaries of this series now named The Existence Trilogy.**


	15. Chapter 14: TopsyTurvy

**DISCLAIMER: Yep, no owning here, nor do I own Lewis Carroll's _Alice in Wonderland_.**

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Chapter 14

Topsy-Turvy

"_To trust or not to trust. I trust you'll decide."_

-Cheshire Cat

At last in orbit again, Sora, Donald, and Goofy plugged in the coordinates for Wonderland once again into their ship. Immediately they set off for it, Sora putting the ship into warp-drive and piloting it just like old times. But as he flew, Sora thought. _What was Maleficent's point in trapping us there anyway?_ Sora wanted to just assume it was to attack him but he feared it was something much bigger than that. Donald interrupted his reverie to bother him about something different though.

"Sora!" Donald called and Sora snapped out of it, facing Donald from his captain's chair. "What are we gonna do when we get to Wonderland?" Sora thought about that for a moment. Unlike many other worlds they hadn't been to Wonderland in eight years and judging by their experience from last time, he remembered why. But still, it had to be done.

"We find Alice, what else?" Sora said, shrugging his shoulders as he piloted the ship. Boot Goofy, though an optimist by nature he was, he was a little less convinced it would be so easy to do so in the first place.

"But, uh, Sora, where would we even find Alice in the first place?" Goofy asked him and Sora scratched his chin at the mention of this. He hadn't thought that far ahead; he rarely did. Sora tried to mask his embarrassment at being called out on this by Goofy and disregarded the statement, flying ahead, though a blush did creep its way into his cheeks. Donald however, remained completely unconvinced that Sora had thought up any kind of plan.

"Sora, why do you always do this?" Donald asked exasperatedly. "You always go into things so fast that we never have time to think or plan or anything. And usually one of us ends up getting hurt." Donald paused for a moment as the effect of his sentence sunk into Sora and he smiled sheepishly. Then Donald exploded. "AND USUALLY IT'S ME!!!!"

"A-hyuck, Donald always gets his tail feathers lit on fire when we're facing a Heartless." Goofy said and he laughed and Donald got pretty miffed at that comment.

"Shut up, ya big palooka!" Donald yelled. "Do you want me to set your ears on fire?!" Goofy shut his mouth after that and said no more. After Donald had at last calmed down, Sora decided it was time to state boldly exactly what his plan was.

"Look, it can't be all that hard. Remember, last time we found her on trial with Queen of Hearts and to be perfectly honest with you, she's so crazy that I think she'll do it again now that Alice is back. Albeit, Alice is a teenager now and I really don't want to imagine the consequences of all this…" Sora sat there pensively as he flew the ship and upon hearing Sora's plan, they decided it was truly for the best to just leave him be and so they left the cockpit. Sora sat there with nothing but his thoughts for company (and of course, Jiminy in his hood). He wished that Kairi were here but right now she was somewhere with the king and Demora. But then a new thought assailed him that hadn't hit him since the meeting of the court at Disney Castle.

Where were Riku and Gentai? His Majesty had told Sora that only two weeks ago they had come to the castle in truly bad shape. Who were they after? And what were they doing going after such a dangerous person without help? These thoughts almost made Sora's brain hurt as he thought about them, even more so because he didn't want to think about them. It pained him to be separated from Kairi, but the possibility that Riku might be killed at any time was also frightening in and of itself. But Sora pushed such agonizing thoughts from his head and strove forward, pushing the Gummi Ship into high gear and speeding on toward the heart-filled world of Wonderland.

The Gummi Ship quickly slid into orbit around the strange world as all three companions readied themselves to help Alice with whatever danger she might be facing wherever she might be facing it. Sora knew they had wasted too much time perhaps on The Land of Dragons but it was for the best essentially and hopefully no harm had come of it. Sora braced himself and then flicked the switch. The beam of light encompassed him and his companions and sent them down into the Rabbit Hole which still looked the same as ever.

"Gawrsh, the world hasn't changed one bit." Goofy said. He looked around at the truly strange style of the room they were in and then turned to Sora. "A-hyuck, Sora, do you remember?"

'Yeah!" Sora cried out enthusiastically. "This was the first world we traveled together to as a team. It was where we managed to seal our first Keyhole…and…well, we did lose Alice to the Heartless then but we didn't know Maleficent was plotting against us at the time." Donald and Goofy nodded knowingly, agreeing with Sora's words. The Donald snapped straight.

"And remember the pact we made right before that, Sora?" Donald said happily and he put his feathered hand out. Sora placed his on top of Donald's and Goofy followed suit very soon after.

"A-hyuck! All for one and one for all, right fellers!" Goofy said and the three raised their hands into the air with a great cheer. But that cheer was soon cut short by the sounds of wailing and sobbing coming from the nearby Bizarre Room. All three of the companions poked their heads around the corner to see where the wailing was coming from but saw nothing at all. Sora shrugged his shoulders and then quickly suggested they find out what was going on.

"Oh no Sora!" Donald said, quickly pulling Sora back by leaping up in the air and pulling on his ear. Sora grimaced in a small amount of pain. He had faced Heartless and Nobodies, Maleficent, Xehanort and Organization XIII but Donald's iron-like feathered grip on his ear still hurt him. The miffed duck stared him straight in the eye and Sora would have cowered if he didn't hold to the fact that he was a Keyblade Master. "We are not rushing off for no reason whatsoever. We gotta have a plan!"

"Aww, come on Donald. It's no fun if we plan everything out!" Sora said, straining to keep a note of seriousness in his voice. "When have I ever _planned_ anything?"

"Well, let's think…" Goofy mused aloud but before he could even ramble off the first think Donald jumped up and down, his hat flying off his head in anger.

"Hey, relax Donald." Sora said, quickly calming his old friend down to the point that all he did was looked like a steamed duck rather than a boiling duck. Sora looked his friend straight in the eye with a wide grin on his face. Then he held a thumbs up to Donald. "All right, we'll try to plan this out!"

"Uh, guys, I think…" Goofy began, pointing down the hallway to the Bizarre Room but Donald once more cut him off saying that Goofy didn't know anything. It was only a few seconds later that a new sound joined the ones already rushing through their ears. It started out as a trickle and caused the trio to perk their ears for a moment, wondering why it was there. But then it became a whooshing noise that suddenly got louder and louder until Sora at last saw the sound for what it was.

"I think it's a flood." Sora said, his face a stark white. He summoned the Oathkeeper in a flash and both he and Donald began pelting chunks of ice at the water, trying to freeze it up. But the water was flowing too fast for them to freeze it efficiently and soon all three companions were swept up in the rising inundation. Sora swirled around in the flood of something and mouthed to Donald underwater, "Donald, get us out of this!!"

"What am I supposed to do?!" Donald mouth back angrily, pissed that Sora probably thought this was his fault. Sora shrugged underwater. He was able to hold his breath well enough, having grown up on an island but he was worried about his partners. So he decided to try something to get them out. He unleashed a powerful Thunder spell that went crashing through the waves of water. Both Donald and Goofy were, unfortunately, shocked but it was a small price to pay to evaporate the water around them. But as soon as they broke free, Sora continued to keep the lightning up to keep the flood from coming back. "I told you that I'm always the one that gets hurt!!!"  
"I'm sorry, Donald, what else did you want me to do?" Sora asked hastily and without another word he began pushing his way toward the door to the Bizarre Room where it seemed all of the water was coming from. All three of the friends quickly wondered what could have caused such a flood of water to come out of the room and within moments after entrance they realized why. "Good news is: we found Alice. Bad news is: she's crying up a flood!" Donald and Goofy freaked out immediately until Alice, now a teenager with golden hair but still wearing the blue dress and white smock she had worn over it, ceased her crying and looked at the new arrivals, one of whom was casting lightning over the room to cease the flow of water and evaporate it. Alice recognized all three of them immediately.

"Sora!" she cried out and the tears seemed to go away from her eyes and a genuinely bright smile appeared on her face. "Oh, it's wonderful to see you again." Sora smiled brightly back at her.

"Hey Alice, looks like you're okay!" Sora said, happy that at least they didn't have to search very far for the princess. "But uh…why were you crying?" Alice frowned a bit and looked at Sora with sadness burgeoning deep in her eyes. Sora didn't want her to cry again but he needed to know what was going on.

"Why, I ran into this dreadfully rude Caterpillar, paid me no respect at all and so I ran away from him and found myself here. When I tried to tell the Doorknob what had happened why he fell asleep on me. When I finally managed to stir him he said the most awful things to me and well, I just couldn't help but cry." Alice said rather deliberately so that Sora could understand the circumstance of her plight. Sora thought on this for a moment. It was true, Alice was safe and sound, but Sora didn't want her accidentally hurting the residents by being foolhardy…so he decided on the safest course.

"Well, Alice, since we're here and all, let's meet this Caterpillar for ourselves and sort him out for you, and maybe take some Heartless out along the way." Sora said courageously and Alice giggled.

"Oh yes, the Heartless have been up to quite a bit of no good lately…though I doubt it's anything to do with anyone here." Alice said, but she accepted Sora's offer nonetheless. Donald just sighed.

"Here we go again." Donald said with a touch of sadness to his voice. "Sora always gets this way around people in danger…sometimes I just want a break." Goofy sighed with him as well but neither of them attacked Sora for his decision other than that. Sora quickly looked around the room however and found what he was looking for: a red bottle on the table.

"But uh…I think four of us is a little much to fit in this room so let's drink the potion and get ourselves down to size, huh?" Sora said and all the members hurriedly agreed, drinking the red bottle and quickly shrinking down to an appropriate size to enter the miniscule doorways. Sora quickly scanned around to see if there were any Heartless coming after them and found none, so he quickly helped Alice off of the table and then all three of he, Donald, and Goofy just jumped down. Alice pointed toward the door that had once been sealed behind a clock and told them that the way she found the caterpillar was just through there. Sora just shrugged. He would have to follow Alice here because he forgot how topsy-turvy this world became.

The quartet entered into the door and soon Donald and Goofy gasped. They were in the Mad Hatter's Tea garden indeed. But unlike before when it had been emptied save for Heartless that would appear when you sat in certain chairs, there were two…people…milling about. Alice gasped in shock.

"Why, this wasn't the way I came at all!" Alice cried and the two in the garden seemed to at last take notice of the emerging group. Both the Mad Hatter and the March Hare ambled over to the group who stood with absolutely perplexed looks on their faces.

"Oh, hello there. A gift for the lady!" the Mad Hatter said to them, handing a pink wrapped gift to Alice who was suddenly taken aback by this display of kindness.

"But, it's not my birthday." Alice said, still battling in her mind as to whether she should take the gift or not. The Mad Hatter shrugged it off and so instead turned to Sora with an inquisitive look who gave him and inquisitive look straight back.

"It's not mine either." Sora said and Donald replied much the same thing as he was soon asked the same question. Goofy leaned in toward the Mad Hatter to examine the present.

"I'd like a present like that!" Goofy said with a short a-hyuck right after. Sora and Donald both slapped their hands at Goofy's aloofness in the situation.

"Is it your birthday?" the Mad Hatter asked Goofy and he shook his head in disappointment but quite to the contrary, the Mad Hatter brightened considerably. "Then a Happy Unbirthday!"

"Unbirthday?!" Alice cried out in confusion. "Why I've never heard of such a thing!" And yet the look on Alice's face seemed to mirror something of pure delight at the situation. Sora leaned in toward Donald who had a very frustrated and angry look on his face.

"I think Wonderland drives people crazy a little bit at a time." Sora said before he pointed over at Goofy who was standing with Alice gawking over the un-birthday presents. "I mean just look at Goofy. I mean we can be gullible but Goofy getting duped by something like this is ridiculous!"

"I agree Sora!" Donald said wholeheartedly with a glance around at the area and at their two very unsuspecting partners. Both Sora and Donald sighed before Sora put a suggestion to him rather quickly.

"Let's just find this Caterpillar that Alice was talking about and get out of here as fast as we can." Sora said, waving his hand around as he said it and Donald nodded.

"That's the smartest thing you've said all day, Sora." Donald responded to his proposed solution. Sora grinned and nodded his head for a little bit until he thought about what Donald had said.

"What's that mean?" Sora asked heatedly and Donald sniggered at this before the voice of Alice called them back to Wonderland. Sora and Donald both turned to her and saw she had a very pleasant smile on her face.

"Oh Sora, you really must join us! They're going to be having a party!" Alice said with absolute glee filtering into her voice. Sora chuckled at this mention and both he and Donald fixed each other with sickening glares. The two of them really wanted to get out of here quickly.

"Well, as great as a party is you guys," Sora began, the humorous overtones still playing in his voice. "We really have to get going as soon as possible, so…"

"Oh, you can't leave just yet!" the March Hare said quickly, trying desperately to bring Sora and Donald into the party that they were so forcefully opposing. Sora had a twitch playing at the corners of his lips but it wasn't in any way shape or form causing a smile to be created on the face.

"Oh please, Sora, let's stay for a little bit?" Alice smiled gaily and Sora was almost tempted to say yes but Donald started spazzing out immediately and so Sora merely grabbed Alice by the top of her dress and started pulling her in towards the house that stood to their right. If Sora's assumptions were correct then that would take them into Lotus Forest where Alice had rumored she found the Caterpillar. Donald took it within his responsibility to start pushing Goofy along as well and he started to wave good-bye to the Mad Hatter and the March Hare. However, both were already gone from the spot that they were once at and managed to dash in front of the door to the house just seconds before Sora could enter it.

"Move!" Sora said forcefully, getting annoyed at this absolute delay in everything they were doing. Both of them shook their heads and Sora let go of Alice's dress. "Look here, we're on a very tight schedule of rescuing princesses and other such stuff. The last time we were here, Heartless attacked, now are you going to move?!" Sora responded at this last word with a flick of his wrist and the Oathkeeper appeared in his hands. He pointed it at the now cowering duo.

"You have to understand, we just wanted someone come to our party…" the Mad Hatter cried out, tears streaming from his eyes. Sora almost looked as though he had a look of pity on his face but it soon hardened off.

"That's great! And maybe we and Alice can come back at another time but for the moment we have a Caterpillar to find." And with that Sora held his Keyblade aloft and threatened both the Mad Hatter and the March Hare out of his way. Alice apologized to both of them as she followed Sora into the doorway. Donald and Goofy at last brought up the rear. When the door finally closed shut behind them it was to find the quartet in Lotus Forest. Sora rounded on Alice in a slightly agitated way. As much as it was his job as Keyblade Master to guard the princesses, this girl was starting to get on his nerves with all of her antics.

"Oh, I don't understand why you didn't let us stay, Sora…" Alice said rather sadly and Sora put his hands on his hips and frowned at her.

"If we had stayed for the party who knows when we would have gotten moving again and, no offense Alice, I want to help you but there are other princess we need to protect." Sora said in almost a single breath and Alice sighed and hung her head.

"You're right, I almost completely forgot. I'm sorry." Alice stated dolefully. Sora nodded at her and forgave her with a smile.

"Now, where was this caterpillar of yours?" Sora asked and Alice immediately began to lead the way, mentioning that he was at the back of the forest. This time, the full trio followed the teenaged girl willingly. Sora was looking around, almost surprised that no Heartless were showing up as they walked. It seemed so different from last time but was, by no means, any more peaceful. In fact, to Sora, the lack of Heartless merely made it creepier. At last Alice halted before a small patch of flowery bushes and she seemed to be pointing into the thicket.

"He's in there, but I'll warn you that he's rather rude. He never really said anything to me." Alice huffed out in a slightly perturbed manner. Sora made a move to go into the thicket but Alice held him back for a moment. "I will warn you, he _is_ rather small…" Sora nodded and walked in. In the small clearing surrounded by the thicket of bushes were multi-colored mushrooms that surrounded the area and on top of the highest mushroom was the Caterpillar. As Sora bent down and examined the Caterpillar he saw it was unlike any Caterpillar he had ever seen. This Caterpillar seemed to be smoking something.

"What's he doing?" Goofy asked. Sora shrugged at this as Alice at last joined them in the clearing. Sora pointed at the Caterpillar with raised eyebrows.

"Oh yes, he was doing that the last time I found him too." Alice said, with almost a giggle in her voice and Sora shook his head.

"What is he on the shroom or something?" Sora chuckled out, trying to make a joke with his comrades.

"Yeah, he's sitting on the mushrooms right now Sora." Goofy said with a confused look as to why Sora might not have noticed that. Sora shook his head and laughed at the mention of that.

"No, I mean, is he _on_ the shroom?" Sora said, referring to something completely different from what Goofy was. Donald quacked out his frustration.

"But all the mushrooms are in this clearing, Sora! What are you talking about?" Donald said with confusion and at last Sora waved it off. At this exact moment the hookah-smoking Caterpillar took notice of their existence. He turned slowly to them and all four of them bent down to examine his fat shape.

"Whooo…are…you?" the Caterpillar said and he blew his smoke into the formation of three letters as he said so. Goofy nearly drifted off lazily to sleep as the O floated up to him and he took in the scent of it. Donald almost passed out as the R brushed past his beak and Sora immediately started coughing when the U flowed through his nostrils. Neither of them said anything until at last Sora topped hacking.

"Now I know why mom always told me not to smoke…" Sora said, waving the smell away from him as he couldn't take it anymore. He bent towards the Caterpillar again. "So you're the little guy who was being rude to Alice, huh?"

"Little, why I'm as big as they come!" the Caterpillar said with affront and Sora quickly apologized, correcting his mistake immediately.

"Well, we just wanted you to apologize to Alice for being so rude to her early." Sora said and the Caterpillar seemed to be listing off as he attempted to think of who Alice was.

"Oh, the young and blonde little girl." the Caterpillar said, paying absolutely no heed to the fact that Alice existed in the same space as all of them did. Affronted at this mention Alice stood up to her full height.

"Little?! Why look at you, you're only about three inches high!" Alice shrieked out and all three of Sora, Donald, and Goofy knew the Caterpillar had hit a nerve. "Why I take offense to that, calling someone little when you barely measure up to their ankle!"

"Little miss!" The Caterpillar said puffing out and Sora seemed to notice a sort of silk forming at the end of its body. "I will have you know that I am very large for my kind and I will not have you debase my very nature you, you-" However, what he was about to call Alice was lost as the silk had now completely wrapped itself around the Caterpillar. Sora knew exactly what was coming next and due to the strange nature of Wonderland, the process happened extraordinarily fast. The silk casing began ripping and cracking and very soon after a butterfly began sticking its head out of the casing and without a word to the quartet it flew out of the clearing and away.

Alice attempted to follow it and ran out of the clearing, ready to accost the butterfly for having been rude as a Caterpillar. Sora, Donald, and Goofy all sighed and followed slowly after her until they heard a scream from within the forest. Sora summoned his Keyblade as the others took out their weapons and they saw Red Nocturnes floating around the youngest princess, charging up their fire spells. Sora nodded at Donald as he ran at them.

"Blizzard!" Donald roared and an ice spell shot from his staff and eliminated most of them. The Heartless that Donald had not taken care of were quickly eliminated however as Sora dashed in and destroyed them.

"Thank you, all of you!" Alice said gleefully and Sora fixed her with a stern look. Alice quailed slightly from it.

"Alice, you need to be more careful!" Sora warned her. "We have to get going so you have to take care of yourself."

"Oh, please no!" Alice begged and Sora gave her an exasperated look. "At least get me somewhere safe so I won't get attacked and I don't feel so alone." Sora thought about this for a moment from the young girl and decided it was for the best.

"All right, we'll help you one last time, but one question: where are we?" Sora asked the group at large and as expected, none of them knew. But a voice quickly answered all of them.

"Where are we or not to be? Is it the question or not, indeed?"

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Author's Note: Yes, I was triple cruel. 1) Another cliffhanger twice in a row. 2) I did not resolve my previous cliffhanger. 3) I drove Sora and Donald absolutely nuts, and you most likely as well. In any case, I am absolutely surprised that none of you guessed at the Huntsman last chapter because I thought it was obvious…but yes, he is more malevolent due to the Heartless and the darkness, I couldn't have him be the good old huntsman and since nobody uses him, I decided to. I hope you enjoyed this crazy Wonderland chapter where Sora never goes, so please review and Dare to Be Silly.


	16. Chapter 15: Hunting the Savages

**DISCLAIMER: Yes, I know it is surprising to you all but I DO NOT own Kingdom Hearts or really, in any sense, false American history...though I happen to wonder who does.**

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Chapter 15

Hunting the Savages

"_There's more to a heart than just anger or hate."_

-Sora to Xemnas

Riku staggered backward as the weight of Kocoum's body began to press against him. Pocahontas had run into the clearing and saw the aftermath of the fight. Kocoum saw her and reached out, grabbing at her necklace. Riku couldn't take it anymore and soon his strength gave out and Kocoum fell on top of him, taking Pocahontas' necklace with him. Gentai quickly let go of Smith and ran over to help his friend, rolling Kocoum's bloodstained body off of Riku and helping him up. Riku's yellow jacket now had flecks of blood on it and he would have wiped them off but for the fact he had no time.

Gentai quickly stole a glance at Pocahontas and saw that she was standing there shocked at this turn of events and indeed, so was John Smith. But Gentai knew better. That shot had come from somewhere and it wasn't any of them. he turned to Riku and fixed him with an immediate glance of anger, not at him, but for the situation.

"Riku, do you smell someone who shouldn't be here?" Gentai asked his companion fiercely, determined to make sure that his suspicions of who fired the shot were correct. Riku looked at him confusedly but seemed to quickly discern that Gentai was asking him to sniff around. Riku closed his eyes and allowed the scents to filter in. Kocoum's scent was quickly fading from the realm of existence and both Smith's and Pocahontas' were highly intensified. Then Riku hit the misplaced scent. He didn't tell Gentai but instead pointed in its direction. Gentai took heed of this singular fact and dashed into the trees there.

There was an "oomf" sound that resonated from the trees and soon Gentai emerged with the man who had fired the shot that had killed Kocoum: Thomas. Thomas was stammering at all of this and Smith stood up and looked at him with shock. Thomas didn't know what to do but he knew he couldn't run; Gentai was holding a firm grip on him. He did struggle a bit though but gentai's grip was like that of iron. Gentai quickly rounded on him.

"What the hell?!!" Gentai roared, spit flying in Thomas' face as he yelled loudly. Thomas cowered a little bit. "Why did you shoot him? If the Native Americans find out then we're all in trouble. Why did you follow John? Was it on Ratcliffe's orders?! Answer me!" Thomas kept spluttering unable to make or form a coherent answer to any number of Gentai's multitude of questions. Gentai held out his free hand and was about to summon his Keyblade to threaten the man with but he felt a calm hand placed onto his shoulder. He looked and saw Riku standing there, relaxed, almost as though nothing had happened. As he stared into his blue eyes and they connected with Gentai's own green, peace overwhelmed him and he relaxed slightly.

"Let it go Gentai. What's done is done." Riku said and Gentai felt Riku's hand lightly lifting his own off of Thomas. Thomas nearly crumpled from the shock of what he'd done but Riku supported him and looked him in the eye. "You saved his life."

"Then why do I feel so dirty?" Thomas asked as John at last found the strength to support himself and walk over to Thomas. "I'm sorry John, Ratcliffe ordered me to follow you and then when that savage attacked you I had no choice…I didn't want to kill him or you but Ratcliffe…" He trailed off as John put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's all right. I understand." John said with compassion and yet Thomas still sighed out in a breath of fear. Riku looked over to his companion and saw Gentai's body still tensed up He looked into his eyes and saw a fierce anger burning up inside of them. Riku put a hand on his shoulder again.

"Hey, relax. You're okay. I'm okay. John's okay. What's wrong with you?" Riku asked but Gentai brushed it off. It seemed he was about to answer but then there was a din of voices heard from within the woods…and it most assuredly wasn't the settlers.

"Oh no, it must be my people." Pocahontas cried and she turned to John. "You must leave this place or they will take you prisoner." Pocahontas' eyes were filled with pleading to the men as she tried to make them understand that they must leave.

"Crap! He warned the whole village!" Gentai cried out, confused as to what was happening. He looked at Smith and the look in Smith's eyes had a decision formed in them and he was absolutely set on it.

"You three need to get out of here." Smith said quickly and Riku was ready to contest but John held up a hand to block his comments. "No, I'll take the fall for what Thomas did, it is my fault. Run from here and get back to the fort." Thomas needed no further telling and Riku wished to accept the man's wishes and fled after him. Gentai looked at John with anguish.

"They'll kill you…" Gentai said with sadness in his voice, not wanting this man to die while scum like Ratcliffe yet lived.

"Then so be it. Now run!" And so Gentai ran from the clearing as he soon heard the noises come from John being taken prisoner by the Native Americans. Tears began to flow from his eyes for no reason whatsoever until at last he had caught up with Riku and Thomas in a clearing far away.

"I didn't want this to happen…" Thomas panted out under his breath and Riku looked at him with a fierce glance of determination.

"Well it did!" Riku snapped at him. "Now someone is going to have to clean this mess up, you understand? Run back and tell Ben and Lon and the other settlers…not Ratcliffe mind you, he can't be trusted."

"But-" Thomas began, however Riku wouldn't hear a word of it.

"No buts just go!" Riku roared and Thomas took off like an obedient puppy. Riku was seething at this unfortunate turn of events that was not in their favor. He wheeled around a few times in the clearing before he at last noticed Gentai there panting and having tears leaking out of his eyes. Riku stopped his anger from coursing forth and took a deep breath before walking over to Gentai. "Hey, what's wrong with you man?"

"It's all our fault!" Gentai screamed loudly and Riku could only hope that the Native Americans were far away by now or they were dead meat. "If we had stopped the Huntsman before all this, none of this would have ever happened. But that evil man poisoned that governor's mind and made things so much more difficult for us. If they had only trusted us!" At this final outrage Gentai summoned Pale Twilight into his hand and started hacking at a tree. Everything was his fault! Everything! He couldn't help Tom! He couldn't save Hikaru! He had lost Sora before! He had allowed himself to be betrayed! And now John was going to die as well! Gentai screamed loudly in a cry that could be heard the whole world over. Riku quickly leapt to him and smothered his mouth to stop him from screaming. He gripped his shoulders and his head tightly until at last Gentai had calmed down.

"Hey! Look at me. LOOK AT ME!" Riku yelled and Gentai, breathing heavily but no longer crying, transfixed him with a look. Riku stared his friend straight in the eye and spoke lucidly to him. "Crying about it and raging over it isn't going to help now. What we need to do is take action. We'll talk with Grandmother Willow and she can guide us. This isn't over. We won't allow the Huntsman to win today, okay?" Gentai wiped his eyes and nodded as Riku began leading the way back to Grandmother Willow. Gentai dismissed his Keyblade and followed.

The two quickly wound their way back through the forest to the site where Grandmother Willow stood and as it appeared, she was already waiting for them. Pocahontas was gone, most likely confined to the village by her father. Riku and Gentai both quickly knelt before the elderly tree.

"Grandmother Willow, what do we do?" Riku asked as though he were a servant appearing before his liege lord. Grandmother Willow used her vines to whip the two up into standing position before she answered the both of them.

"Boys, you should listen to your hearts and you know what to do. If the Huntsman's anger and darkness has drawn apart these two races then…" Grandmother Willow said and Gentai finished the answer for her.

"Then we need to find a way to bring these two together…" Gentai said. "But the only way that we could possibly do that is if me and Riku remain apart." Gentai looked at his friend and Riku nodded.

"We'll have to work both sides won't we?" Riku said with a smirk and Gentai nodded. Then Riku decided which sides they would take. "I'll stop the impending darkness on the settlers and you'll take care of the Native Americans."

"And we'll meet up as soon as we can." Gentai said. The two shook each other's hands, resolved to stop the darkness that the Huntsman had already begun to spread.

"Fly boys, fly like the wind and listen to your heart!" Grandmother Willow instructed and both flew off in opposite directions. Gentai's heart was pounding as he ran. He had to listen to his heart and somehow his heart was showing him the exact way to the Indian's camp in the forest and the corn fields. Gentai had to do this, if not for the worlds then for himself. He would not fail now at saving a man's life as he had failed before…even if he had to get captured in order to do so. Gentai broke through into the cornfield and dashed through the lines of corn until he broke onto the plane of the village.

The first thing that Gentai saw in the village were all of the warriors that were loitering around. Many of them were having war paint put on and Gentai was certain his job was going to be difficult. These men were already filled with such rage and hatred that it would be impossible to stop them in any way. So Gentai decided on the next best thing.

"Hey guys!" Gentai yelled out and all of the men and women in the area turned to face him. The warriors stood, lines of hatred etched into their faces. Gentai smirked. Time for his plan to go forth. A man with a great headdress made of feathers walked forward from the crowd of warriors.

"Who is this white man that dares to profane our lands?" the man said and Gentai somehow got the feeling that this man was the chief. Gentai held his hand out and summoned his Keyblade into his hand.

"You guys are warriors, right? Well, I have a message for John Smith." Gentai said and the warriors looked at him either with muddled expressions or angry ones. Gentai brought himself into a defensive stance. "Bring it!" Many of the warriors gave fierce battle cries and rushed at Gentai. Gentai didn't want to hurt them and so he flipped backward, dodging their blows. Then he rolled forward and past them, straight into the village. He popped up and made a quick scan for where John might be held before another warrior aimed a blow straight at him. Gentai held up his Keyblade on instinct to block the blow and the man's hand connected with the shaft. he howled in pain and stepped back.

"What devilish weapon is this?!" The warrior cried and Gentai grimaced at the fact he had caused the man pain. He stepped forward with compassion in his heart.

"Hey, sorry man, I didn't mean to-" But he wasn't able to finish what he was about to say for a warrior struck him from behind and without the chance to react Gentai collapsed on the ground, unconscious. He had failed.

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On the other side, in the settler's fort, Riku was faring little better against the angry cacophony. Thomas had failed in keeping the abduction and capture of John Smith a secret. And so, despite his best efforts, Ratcliffe and the Huntsman were now fully informed of the situation and the Huntsman, though he did not show it was clearly very happy at this.

"Don't you understand governor?!" the Huntsman cried. "They captured Smith because he was about to find their gold. They don't want us near it. Now most likely they will execute him at dawn and that is the chance to strike!"

"Are you mad?!" Riku cried in absolute rage. He was sick of this guy. Sick of the darkness that made him vomit and sick of the fact that he was affiliated with Maleficent. "THEY HAVE NO GOLD!!!" Riku roared but the Huntsman looked unfazed by it.

"I think he's telling the truth sir." Thomas replied at Riku's outrage and Ratcliffe looked at him with sickness.

"Thomas, you did well in killing off one of those savages but you know that they're hiding something!" Ratcliffe said.

"They're only hiding off of fear! They're hiding from you!" Riku screamed and he summoned his Keyblade in a flash, holding it at the governor's throat. "If you even thought to hold out the hand of friendship there would be no hiding and nothing to fear!" But before Riku could say anymore he felt a crossbow tip lightly pressing on his own throat and he backed off.

"Riku, I would be careful if I were you. Else I'll use Heartless to take all these hearts." the Huntsman said with a malevolent chuckle behind it.

"No…" Riku breathed out and he turned around, whipping his Keyblade in his wake and knocking the Huntsman crossbow away from his neck. "I'm sick of you and your stinking darkness!" Riku then summoned a ball of dark energy in his hand and fired it at the Huntsman. The Huntsman called up a Heartless that took the blow and immediately disappeared. Riku ran at the Huntsman and he quickly fired a round of crossbow ammunition. Riku raised a shield in defense and blocked the blow before dispersing it and bringing his Keyblade down on the man. The Huntsman smirked and formed a portal of darkness, disappearing through it. Riku stopped his attack in midair and fired a ball of energy through the portal where it would hopefully hit the man before it sealed up at last. Riku dropped to the ground and panted a bit. The other men stared at him but even with Ratcliffe's orders to seize him they did nothing. Riku sniffed the air. He knew where he was going…but he'd deal with it later. He turned to the men who were staring at him in awe for a moment before Ratcliffe spoke.

"Smith is captive, will we not save him?! Come men, let's beat back these savages!" Ratcliffe cried and, to Riku's despair, many of the men answered. Thus it was that Riku failed in his task and was forced to march with these men on the path to war.

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Gentai stirred with a groan. His head was throbbing and he couldn't seem to remember what had just happened. His vision was blurry for a moment but soon it cleared up and began to solidify into a vivid image and picture. He was in a tent; that was for certain. But for the time he couldn't remember how he had gotten into that tent. He tried to move his hands to rub his aching temples only to find that they were tied to some sort of pole. He forcefully tried to move but to no avail. Thus did he sigh and lean against the pole. Now he had certainly remembered. He had shown compassion to the Native Americans and they had shown absolutely none back. Gentai wanted to curse at his rotten luck in the situation but he soon felt a presence stir next to him and stopped himself.

The presence near him felt familiar and it seemed the person with him was also tied up against the pole. As his hands moved and twitched they brushed against Gentai's and he seemed to figure out who it was. There was a groan that issued from beside him and soon John Smith stirred, blearily opening his eyes.

"Hey there, how are you doing?" Gentai asked cheerily though deep down he felt like he was in the deepest pits of Hell. John craned his head almost as though to get a look at his partner in the tent.

"Well, other than a blistering bruise on my forehead and a throbbing pain all over, I'd say pretty well, how about you?" John said and Gentai chuckled.

"Was that a joke John? Cause I thought big and strong men like you couldn't make jokes or abide weakness…least of all in yourselves." Gentai said with the touch of humor escaping his lips.

"How did you get in here anyway?" John asked him and Gentai shrugged while trying to rub his bonds enough to get them off. They wouldn't budge.

"I tried to come a free you but it didn't really work and I got captured instead." Gentai said and John just gave a simple "mmm" to signify that he understood. "Hey, no worries, I've been in bigger scrapes than this before."

"You have?" stated John with quite a touch of disbelief. He knew that Gentai had skills, though he had not witnessed them, but being in a tougher scrape than this was impossible.

"Yeah, loads of times…now if I could just get these bonds…" Gentai groaned as he struggled against the fierce hold the bonds were holding on him but gave up as the flap to the back of him opened. He felt a new presence enter the room and he knew that Pocahontas had arrived. He tried to drown out most of the conversation but one part in particular caught his interest for some odd reason.

"_If I never knew you, If I never felt this love, I would never have a clue how precious life could be…_" John began to sing out and Gentai could find his thoughts melting away from that space a time. Of course, it didn't stop him from groaning in disgust when Pocahontas and Smith kissed each other. But very quickly his thoughts turned to Demora. It had been a year since he had seen her…could things have turned out differently in his life. Of course, if he had never wielded the Keyblade he would have never met Demora, would have never fought…would have never lost so much more than he had. Tears began to sting his eyes as Pocahontas left the tent but he held himself together. He had to for his sake and all the worlds.

Gentai once more could not sleep the remainder of that night as it faded into day. The dawn began come but Gentai knew that the dawn was very far off. The sun crested over the horizon and shone in through the tent flap. Their time had come. The flap was whipped open and the warriors came in dragging the two prisoners. Gentai knew in his heart that he was to be executed with John…and yet, he would not shirk from it. He allowed the warriors to lead him with their cries of:

_Savages! Savages!_

_Barely even human!_

_Savages! Savages!_

_Prick them they won't bleed!_

All his fear, his fear of death, of loneliness had slipped away for eternity as they led him there and he was filled with a calmness he had not known before. And as Gentai came to terms with this they had reached the top of the craggy outcrop. The warriors shoved Smith down first and Powhatan, the chief, raised a tomahawk above his head. Gentai glanced out and saw the settlers arriving below, Ratcliffe at the head. Riku was also with them, powerless to stop the pain that was about to follow. Powhatan was ready and with a cry he swung the tomahawk down only to stop.

Pocahontas had thrown herself over John's body, shielding him from the strike.

"Pocahontas, move!" Powhatan cried but Pocahontas resolutely refused.

"No, father! Don't you see what is happening here?! Do you see where the path of hate has led us?" Pocahontas cried and she stared into her father's eyes with compassion. Powhatan once more brought his tomahawk down but he instead cut Smith's bonds.

"Release the other prisoner." Powhatan ordered and Gentai felt his hands become free at last. he stretched them out, feeling their strength for himself. "I would have gone down an irredeemable road were it not for my daughter who chose to follow her heart. Lay down your weapons, we are brothers." Powhatan dropped his own tomahawk and his warriors followed in suit. Gentai smiled at the route that this had taken. But down below, things were much different.

"What are you waiting for?!" Ratcliffe shouted with venom at his men who were now lowering their guns hesitantly. "This is the right opportunity, fire at them!"

"But they're not doing anything…" Lon said to the governor with concern on his face.

"They don't want to fight." Ben said, agreeing with his friend Lon. Riku smirked. Darkness was building in Ratcliffe's body however.

"Fine, I can do it myself!" Ratcliffe yelled and he extended his palm. Before Riku could stop him a Wild Saber Heartless appeared. Having the appearance of a fox and a tiger this vicious Heartless had two rows of perfectly sharp teeth and even sharper claws. The Heartless jumped at Powhatan but before it had the chance to strike Smith jumped in the way of it and the claws sliced right across his chest.

"Smith!" Gentai yelled loudly and angrily. He summoned his Keyblade quickly.

"You hurt John!" Thomas said and Ratcliffe immediately tried to put up a defense for himself. But both Riku down below and Gentai up above wouldn't have it. Ratcliffe extended his palm to summon more Heartless.

"JACK!!" Gentai called, a light blossoming on the end of his Keyblade. Very soon a small and miniscule monkey hurtled out of the sky and onto Ratcliffe's face, clawing him up. Riku summoned his own Keyblade and wrapped Ratcliffe up in a web of light that he couldn't escape from. He struggled but to no avail. Gentai called Jack the Monkey back to his own world before he went to check on Smith. "You all right?"

"I'll be fine…" Smith said, breathing heavily. Gentai shook his head.

"No you won't…you'll need rest, and real medical treatment. I can heal the surface wound but you'll need to go home…wherever you came from." Gentai held his Keyblade and pointed it at Smith. "Heal!" Gentai cried and green tendrils shown forth over Smith, showering him with a green mist that closed up the surface of the wound but still left him badly wounded. Gentai nodded at him and then faced Riku down below. He ran off the edge and landed among the settlers.

"I thought we'd lost you for good." Riku said with a chuckle and Gentai thumped on his chest.

"You'll need more than that to stop me!" Gentai said proudly before turning to the other settlers. "Smith will need to go back home…he's badly wounded."

"And where are you going, lad?" Ben asked inquisitively. Gentai tapped his nose.

"I noticed the Huntsman wasn't here. We gotta go after him." Gentai stated before turning to his long-time ally. "Any idea where he's headed?"

"The perfect idea. He's gone back to base." Riku said with a smirk of confidence on his face. Gentai returned the smirk. The two high fived before each opened their own individual portal with their Keyblades and stepped through to track down the Huntsman once again.

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Author's Note: Not bad, huh? Well, maybe it was, I kind of rushed the ending…I think…but let me know what you think about it, huh? And yes, I cut out Grandmother Willow talking to Pocahontas because Riku and Gentai are more important…but I gave her an extra scene because I'm partial to Grandmother Willow having played Grandfather Willow in my Kindergarten play. I also hope you enjoyed the Riku vs. Huntsman fight. In any case, no Riku and Gentai for a good many chapters again now. Please review, and Dare to Be Silly.


	17. Chapter 16: Princess in Distress

**DISCLAIMER: Do I own it yet? No I don't.**

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Chapter 16

Princess in Distress

"_Now I've lost Kairi again too."_

-Sora

The Horned King sat on his throne in Annuvin, musing to himself about the whereabouts of the Black Cauldron. After all his searching he had not yet found it, and Maleficent would be most displeased. He snarled at his own failure as he stood up from his throne and walked over to the window that stared out over the land of Prydain. It was a blighted land now, but it mattered not to him. After all, he was the ruler of this land. All he needed now was the Black Cauldron. The Cauldron Born, coupled with the Heartless would prove to be an unstoppable force that even Gwydion, Prince of Don, and Dallben, the old fool, would be powerless to resist.

The door to the Horned King's throne room banged open loudly but the Horned King did not turn to respond to it. There was a wheezing noise coming up the stairs and a loud clunking, as though something heavy was being dragged up the corridor to his chambers. The wheezing got louder and louder until at last there was a large _thud_ right within the throne room of Annuvin. The wheezing continued though the clunking had stopped and the Horned King allowed it a moment though his mood was not quite so fair. Then he heard the voice of his servant.

"Sire, the Huntsman brings the magic mirror from his own world!" the Creeper said to the Horned King, who slowly turned around to face his green subordinate and the mirror he was attempting to hold up. The Horned King said nothing and merely pointed at the wall near his throne, indicating that the Creeper should place the mirror there. The Creeper, not wanting to incur his master's wrath did as he was commanded and with much more wheezing and heaving he at last set the Magic Mirror against the wall, soon scurrying away from the throne at his liege's orders. The Horned King strode to the mirror and stared at its surface. He had said no words and suddenly the image twisted until it revealed an image of Where Nothing Gathers in the Castle That Never Was.

The Horned King quickly bowed to Maleficent as she entered into the room and nodded at him. Then she sat in her chair before the small holographic image of him, as the Horned King knew. The Horned King was the first to speak.

"I have received the mirror, Maleficent, what do you wish of me?" the Horned King said in the most respectful voice he could muster.

"Nothing at this time." Maleficent said with a wicked smile on her face. "All the others, such as you have returned to their own worlds save for the Huntsman. He failed in his task at The New World due to Riku and that boy!" The Horned King could almost sense Maleficent's anger from through the mirror but he felt no need to shield himself from it.

"I wouldn't worry. So long as the Huntsman leads those two on a merry chase we needn't worry about them. Our plan can still be accomplished with or without that task done." the Horned King said, waving the matter aside. "And yet, Maleficent, what _is_ your plan?" Maleficent gave an evil chuckle.

"That dratted king is heading to what was once my own home world. I plan to return there in due course and deal with the rodent." Maleficent said with a sneer on her face. "As for the Keyblade Master, he still is going around trying to protect the princesses. I should let him try…"

"You are sending Heartless, then, to conquer him?" the Horned King asked, bemused and Maleficent nodded.

"Though I doubt it will defeat him easily it is worth the chance. After all, his strength is unparalleled." Maleficent said and the Horned King nodded. "He is meeting with that traitorous feline right now. We should have killed him when he turned down the offer and we had the chance."

"Ah well, the feline will serve no purpose to the Keyblade Master once he leaves the world." the Horned King stated before yet another, new thought entered his mind. "Maleficent, what of our other…complication?"

"He is as resilient as ever but I hope we shall break him soon enough. My attempts to destroy both the Keyblade Master and that complication at the wedding was a failure so I can only hope he will give us a chance to strike again." Maleficent said and the Horned King accepted her word as law. "What of the Black Cauldron?"

"Soon I will find it. We have not availed ourselves of the most prudent measures of finding it but it is no matter. I have an idea of where I can gather the information regarding its whereabouts. When my gwythaints return from scouting the land I shall send them out to gather something of much use to us…" the Horned King returned and Maleficent accepted it. Soon after, they ended their communications through the mirror. The Horned King once more sat upon his throne. He would find the Black Cauldron, no matter the cost.

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"You again?!" Sora cried as he found his eyes staring at the pink and purple furred Cheshire Cat. He had, as always, a wide grin on his face as he sat on the boughs of one of the trees. He juggled a head a bit with his striped tail before placing it firmly back on his shoulders.

"Is it? For am I here or perhaps elsewhere, or maybe all places at once?" the Cheshire Cat said with his grin spreading all the while, furthering Sora's anger at their current situation and predicament.

"Gaaah!! Stop speaking in riddles!" Sora screamed and he summoned his Keyblade quickly, prepared to swipe at the cat but Donald held him back. "Let me go Donald! Let me at him!" But when Sora turned to look at the Cheshire Cat when Donald at last released him it was to find that the wicked cat was gone. Sora whipped around, looking for him until a voice to his right alerted him of the presence.

"Looking for a way out? So are the shadows." the Cheshire Cat said and Alice stepped forward to take the reigns from Sora.

"What do you mean, the shadows are looking for a way out?" Alice asked politely of the cat and his grin widened.

"Exactly that princess!" the Cheshire Cat said and the trio defending Alice suddenly tensed. No one had ever peeped a word that she was a princess and Sora highly doubted that Alice would do that in any case. "The Cheshire Cat sees but doesn't always tell."

"Why don't you start making some sense?!" Sora cried, holding his Keyblade out as though to threaten the cat. But the cat didn't seemed deterred by this at all and merely stared lazily at the Keyblade Master.

"Shadows flee to attack the queen or perhaps a symbol of prodigy? Who knows for certain but only one things for certain, the shadows aren't happy, whip-beaten by their master." the Cheshire Cat said and he disappeared and appeared again on a stump to their left. All of the companions, utterly bewildered by now, turned to face him once again. "They'll be angry and might try to take one of the light. Best be prepared or the shadows will find you unless you find them. Either way, you'd best be prepared when the light casts its shadows." By now, Donald and Goofy were clutching their heads in confusion not able to make heads or tails of this conversation from the striped feline. Sora managed to keep his head on his shoulders though, figuratively speaking.

"Where did the shadows go?!" Sora cried, ready to take on any Heartless that came near him. Sora wasn't exactly fond of the cat's ridiculous and cryptic words and had Donald not pulled him back earlier he would have sliced him to ribbons…possibly. After all, that cat led them to the Heartless last time.

"To the garden through the reeds!" The Cheshire Cat said and his tail pointed in the direction of a doorway that none of them seemed to have noticed before. Sora looked at the Cheshire Cat with a glare, wondering why the cat would help them. The cat merely grinned all the wider before it seemed that he had vanished completely. Sora looked at Donald and Goofy and saw, much to his exasperation, that they were reeling on the ground.

"Gawrsh…my head hurts." Goofy complained miserably and Donald seconded him with a:

"That cat makes no sense…" Sora quickly walked up to them and slapped them both on the head, bringing them both to attention. Without further ado, Sora led them forward to the doorway that the Cheshire Cat had indicated. Sora decided that he would be the first to go and strode through valiantly. To his dismay however he found himself in a place he would not have chosen willingly.

"Not here again!" Sora cried. They were indeed in the Queen's Courtyard filled with heart shaped topiary and bushes with red and white flowers. The Card Soldiers were milling around and it seemed that some sort of game was being played at the castle.

"Oh, a game!" Alice cried out in wonder and before the trio could stop her she had already run forward. "Why this looks lovely!" Sora was about to cry out when suddenly he found the maddening and red face of the Queen of Hearts in his.

"Well, if it isn't that brazen felon who disturbed my court last time!" the Queen roared and Sora would have cowered were his pride not still intact from her bellowing. He instead stood his ground at the Queen's rage until a sweet voice interrupted her little temper tantrum. The Queen heard Alice's voice calling to her and she turned away from the three interlopers on her court to face the young, mild-mannered princess.

"Your Majesty…" Alice began, curtseying to the queen as best she could. "I couldn't help but notice you were playing a game of croquet and I thought it would be such an honor to play against you since you must simply be the best in the whole kingdom!" Alice smiled at her and they could all see the Queen's temper flowing away at the kind words that Alice was feeding to her.

"Oh, why of course dear. Unlike those felons you have proper manners to treat a queen. We'll get you some croquet mallets." the Queen said and with a snooty huff she turned away from the companions. Sora sighed, grateful that Alice's quick thinking got them out of the situation and there were no Heartless to be seen either. But then Sora noticed something that was not to his liking. There was a purple and pink cat slinking along near the Queen's legs. Sora quickly tried to warn her but in an instant.

_CRASH!_

The queen had tripped over the Cheshire Cat and Alice just managed to catch her before she fell and helped her back up. The Queen had no idea who had done it but was more than pleased to lay the blame on Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

"So!" the Queen began in her tirade once again. "First you profane my court and now you must trip me! Your obstinacy knows no bounds! That's it, the court has reached a verdict! OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!!" The Queen cried and the card soldiers began moving in on the trio who saw no way out.

"What should we do you guys?" Sora asked his friends but they shook their heads and shrugged their shoulders, indicating that they indeed had no clue. Sora summoned his Keyblade once again and the Card Soldiers broke off for a minute at the sight of the gleaming white Oathkeeper but quickly pressed in once more.

"What indeed?" a voice said behind Sora and he whipped his head to see the grin of the Cheshire Cat once again. "The shadows are coming and they'll want the hearts!"

"Which hearts?!" Donald yelled, demanding it from the truly annoying feline.

"All of them!" The Cheshire Cat grinned wider than ever and his tail seemed to point beyond the Card Soldiers. Sora turned to look and soon saw a spindly shape fly up over the horizon and land with its sharpened axe feet in the Queen's Castle. It unfurled its arm and raised its head up high. It was a painted black, green, and a sickly yellow shape that as its arms unfurled small red balls with yellow eyes began bouncing from them in sets of three: the Mover Heartless. The big boss of them all scanned the area and seemed to be looking for someone until its eyes caught on Alice. It made to move but Sora, Donald, and Goofy quickly broke through the cards to protect the princess.

"You go through us first!" Sora cried. The Heartless paused for a moment, all twelve of its yellow eyes blinking. Sora looked at his companions. "Didn't we face this one before?" In response to the question Jiminy Cricket hopped from his hood and stood on his shoulder.

"No Sora, what you faced was the Trickmaster, though it looks rather similar. This one has different color so we might as well call it the Neo Trickmaster." Jiminy said proudly at all of the work he had done in his journal. Sora's mouth fell agape.

"You're naming them now?!" Sora cried and Jiminy shrugged his miniscule shoulders.

"Well, there's nothing else to do while you folks are fighting them." Sora nodded his head, agreeing with the wisdom. Then he brought his Keyblade defensively before them as the Mover Heartless stuck. Sora sliced through them and Goofy bashed his shield upon them and they disappeared.

"Goofy, protect Alice!" Sora ordered and he winked at Donald. The duck winked back, understanding exactly what Sora meant to do. Sora quickly ordered Goofy to move Alice as fast he could near the Cards and the Queen and Goofy obliged. Sora and Donald then flung down on opposite sides of the courtyard between the Neo Trickmaster and the group gathered in the corner of the area. The Neo Trickmaster seemed to discern the change in the location of the princess and slowly began moving towards Alice again. Sora held out his Keyblade and focused in ice at the tip as Donald did the same with his staff. Together they channeled ice between the two weapons creating a small blizzard right in the middle of the courtyard. The grass began to die under the blistering cold and Sora and Donald both maintained it as the Neo Trickmaster ambled over.

At last, the Neo Trickmaster, blind to the attack walked into the storm. Quickly its body froze up, extinguishing even its juggling sticks. Even the Movers got caught up in it all and froze along with their master. At last, when the Neo Trickmaster was incased in a thin shield of ice did the two release the spell. Sora then ran at the Neo Trickmaster and with a single, powerful swipe from the Keyblade, broke it into a million pieces. Donald aimed an all incinerating fire spell and soon multiple Heartless were at last melted and destroyed. Sora ran at Donald and the two gave each other a feathery high five. Goofy ambled over with Alice.

"Oh, well thank you so much for saving me Sora." Alice said and Sora grinned at her.

"All in day's work." Sora said cheerily before leaning in toward Alice. "Besides, protecting Princesses of Heart is part of our job description, you know!" Alice giggled and almost blushed if she hadn't constrained herself at the last minute. Sora took a glance and saw the Queen was recovering from her stunned state. "But we better get going, Alice, you should be safe here…I hope. Good luck!"

"Come back you scoundrels!!!" The Queen yelled but before anything could be done, Sora raised his Keyblade into the air and beamed himself aboard the Gummi Ship. The Queen quickly hustled over and Alice decided on the best course of action.

"Oh rats!" she cried tearfully. "They got away!" But inside she was secretly smiling that the three had truly helped save her life and her heart.

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All three of the companions sighed as soon as they got onto the Gummi Ship. They were truly glad to be away from the madness of Wonderland and all three were more than happy to hit the showers and go to bed. It had indeed been far too long since they were able to relax in the Gummi Ship. Regardless, they wanted to stay in orbit around the world for no longer and so the trio quickly made their way back to the cockpit to search the databases for the next world where a princess would reside. But all three found a surprise waiting for them as they entered, and, unfortunately for them, it was not a pleasant one at all. there was a green light flashing on the console indicating they had someone trying to get through to their ship. Sora pressed the button next to it and the screen blinked on, showing the faces of both King Mickey and Demora. All three quickly saluted to the king.

"What's up Your Majesty?" Sora said, sitting down in the captain's chair as both Donald and Goofy sat on either side of him. Mickey seemed agitated and Sora wondered for a moment why. "Oh, are you calling to check on our progress."

"Well that's part of it but-" Mickey began. However, before he could continue Sra, along with Donald jabbering, began to give a report in detail.

"Well, we visited Agrabah and Jasmine was safe there with Aladdin. Then we helped out Adam and Belle on their world before we were delayed at Land of Dragons but everything's cool there. We just finished up with Wonderland and made sure that Alice was safe…though I think Donald may have lost some brains along the way."

"Hey, you did too Sora!" Donald burst out at this remark and Sora and Goofy both chuckled a bit. Then Donald ceased and looked at the king. "What have you done Your Majesty?"

"Welp, we managed to defeat a member who was working with Maleficent, though we don't know them all." Mickey said quickly and Sora couldn't help being inquisitive, even at the unknown expense of the king's worry.

"Who was it?" Sora asked him and he answered just as quickly as Sora had asked.

"Madam Mim. We're heading to Enchanted Dominion, we wanted to meet up with you in the Castle of Dreams following that, but-" Once more the companions did not allow the tiny king to answer.

"All right, we'll meet you there, Your Majesty!" Goofy said with pride and Sora smiled at him before putting a heartfelt desire forward to the queen.

"Can I talk to Kairi?" Sora asked with a smile. Sora knew before Mickey had even answered that something was wrong and quickly felt the grin drop from his face when the answer did come.

"That's the thing Sora, Kairi's been kidnapped! Captain Hook attacked us and damaged our ship and made off with Kairi aboard the _Jolly Roger_. He wounded her badly too, she was bleeding as he carried her off." Sora looked at the king with anguish when he at last finished. "He's probably gone back to Neverland since he needs her alive and unspoiled. He thinks by bringing Kairi it will get him back in the good graces of Maleficent."

"Then I'll go get him!" Sora said angrily, the anger he was feeling at Captain Hook twisting his features into a snarl. Mickey nodded.

"I thought you might say that. Just don't let your anger control you Sora." Mickey said and Sora nodded, heeding His Majesty's orders. "You do what you feel necessary, but just come back in one piece." Once more Sora nodded and Demora nodded back at him before the communications line vanished. For a few minutes, nobody said anything in the cockpit as Sora stared at his knees.

"I can't believe I lost Kairi again!" Sora cried out in rage, frustration, and sadness. Donald and Goofy looked at each other and then Sora looked up. He began punching in codes for Neverland. "I'm going after her. You know, I'm not going to ask you to come with me. This is my battle!"

"But Sora…" Goofy said, placing a hand on Sora's shoulder forcing the Keyblade Master to look at the Captain of the Royal Knights. "We're always here. It's always been the three of us, and we always stick together. All for one and one for all!" Sora smiled slightly at this mention and Goofy a-hyucked. "That's the Sora I remember! Remember what Donald told ya…our very first promise?" Sora smiled even wider.

"Always smile!" Sora said with the cheer of the other two. He then smiled even wider than before. "We'll save Kairi, and we'll do it together!"

"Yeah! Let's beat up that slimy excuse for a pirate!" Donald cried out in a near-battle cry. Sora nodded at them and thanked them that we're coming along. Then Sora set the course for Neverland and the encounter with pirate captain that had kidnapped his bride-to-be.

_I'm coming, Kairi._

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Author's Note: Yes, this was a little shorter but I think well worth it…I hope. In any case, there's Sora's reaction to Kairi's kidnapping. As a side note, I learned from the Kingdom hearts Wiki that apparently Mickey's Keyblade is called Darkside…who knew? And for those of you who noticed that Jack the Monkey was a summon last chapter then I'll say this, plan was for Gentai to have a summon for each world he went to. Let me know if you want to know what they all are. Anyway, next chapter will be the rescue and the reunion so look forward to that but in the meantime do please review and always remember, Dare to Be Silly.

QUOTE: It works for next chapter so: "Doesn't anybody respect the traditional captive-captor relationship anymore? Has society just gone completely to seed?!" -Dr. Drakken


	18. Chapter 17: Taking the Bait

**DISCLAIMER: As much as I wished I owned this, I don't...but...I do own my plot so that counts for something, right?**

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Chapter 17

Taking the Bait

"_Ready to make a splash you old codfish!"_

-Peter Pan

Kairi stirred from her fitful rest aboard the _Jolly Roger_. She, of course, had no immediate idea as to where she was and could not even begin to fathom her location at all. She groaned, slightly in pain. There was a searing heat just below her left shoulder blade and right above her, well, she didn't even want to think about it right now. Regardless, she couldn't imagine why she felt such heat and a small twinge of pain there. As she stirred from where she was her hand quickly moved over to the location where the heat she was feeling rested. She gasped.

There was a thin scar there that she didn't remember was ever there before. She rubbed it as though hoping it might go away, but it did not whatsoever. She wanted to cry like a child and do nothing. But most of all, she wanted Sora to hold her and to make whatever pain she was feeling inside go away. The scar had brought back to her the sudden reality of where she was. If the creaking and groaning and the swooning and the shakings hadn't convinced her yet. She knew she was aboard Captain Hook's ship. She cursed silently inside to herself, never letting it escape from her lips. Why did she have to look at that booby-trapped present. Couldn't she have realized it was all just a trap to get at _her_. It was always to get at her. If it wasn't for some Kingdom Hearts craziness then it was because of Sora. Kairi figured it was probably a little bit of both in this matter.

Kairi, now fully awake and very pissed off, ventured to look around the room she was in. She found she was chained to the ship wall and around her legs were manacles that seemed to tighten on her every single minute. It was a wooden ship, but she could tell that it was extraordinarily well built. Before Kairi could look around rather well there was clamor from outside the door to her holding cell. Kairi couldn't exactly tell what was going on until at last Captain Hook himself entered the room.

"Well, if the nasty little brat isn't awake already?" Hook said as he entered and closed the door forcefully behind him. Kairi spat at him with such venom that he actually recoiled, fearing her spit may be acid. When he saw that it was not he relaxed. "Having a wonderful time aboard my ship?"

"Not really. Why don't you let me go?" Kairi said, knowing that he wouldn't but still toying with the fact in her mind that she would dearly love to beat this man to a pulp and show him what real pirates were like. She, of course, knew, having fought with Gentai, Riku, and Hikaru when they had all gone to Port Royal a year ago. Hook laughed loudly and Kairi laughed back at him.

"I think not, princess." Hook said, flicking his moustache. "I need you alive if I'm going to bring you back to Maleficent and earn her favor once again. Life is too hard without the protection of that witch!" Kairi laughed at the man's misfortune before a thought suddenly occurred to her.

"So that's why I'm not dead, even after you stabbed me!" Kairi cried out and Hook nodded, his wig bouncing up and down slightly. Well, she was at least grateful for that but she didn't like being kept here as a prisoner.

"I didn't want to wound you to be sure but…it was the only way to get you aboard my vessel!" Hook cried out and Kairi tried to lash out at him, forgetting for a moment that she was chained. When Hook kept laughing she at last stopped struggling and merely leaned in towards him.

"When Sora find you he _will_ make you squeal!" Kairi said with a pulsating anger and it even paled Hook for a moment.

"If he even finds out that I've taken you!" Hook guffawed and without another word he left the small prison. As he drew away from the room, Kairi sighed and looked at the dripping ceiling in another corner.

"Sora…where are you?" she asked in despair.

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To be certain, Sora was not all that far away from where she was. However, he had to decide to make a more strategic affair of things rather than just rushing in, trying to take as many pirates down with him. If they were Heartless he'd have no problem but he didn't want to kill humans so easily just yet; he wasn't a monster. Therefore, at the discretion of Goofy, the trio would make their way towards the mainland of Neverland and recruit Peter Pan and his Lost Boys. Either way, as they slid into the orbit of Neverland Sora made sure not land near Hook's ship so that they could remain undetected for as long as possible on the joy ride. Sora looked at his companions.

"The last time we were here, we tried to find Kairi too…only…" Sora said with a disheartened look on his face.

"Aw, don't you worry none, Sora!" Goofy said cheerfully. "We're sure to get her back this time!" Donald then piped in his own comment.

"And besides, last time you had Riku working against you, remember? If Hook lost the help of the Heartless then he'll be useless against our power!" Donald said with a haughty stance that caused both Sora and Goofy to break out in raucous laughter aboard the ship. It was laughter that even Jiminy Cricket joined in. Sora smiled and clapped a hand on the backs of both of his steadfast companions.

"Thanks you guys! We'll save Kairi, I know we will!" Sora said before he suddenly remembered something. "And I need to be happy anyway or our special powers on this world won't work one bit." Donald and Goofy nodded and all three of them stood on the transporter devices. Sora looked at the coordinates he was punching in, making sure it landed on the Lost Boys' home and then flicked the switch to send them down to the world below.

The first thing that Sora saw as he stumbled into the grove of trees and campfire was an empty place. For a moment Sora panicked. He needed Peter's help and he needed it now so if the Lost Boys weren't here and weren't going to be back for a while it would truly mess up their plans. Sora searched around and dug through all of the remnants of the campfire. He bent down to examine the ashes and though it was not his forte of gleaning things from the ash of the earh he could still try.

"Well, they were here last night…" Sora said in dismay. "The ashes still seem kind of fresh but I don't know…it kind of worries me…"

"Do ya think Hook mighta captured them?" Goofy asked solemnly but Sora was quick to shake his head and Donald was quick to throw in his own agreement to that statement.

"After all the times he's failed to capture Peter…I doubt he'd get him now…" Donald said glaring at the surroundings himself. Either way, whether Peter Pan had been captured or not, his absence in his own camp worried all of them. Sora was about to give up hope and revert to Plan B, which really did involve storming the ship and taking down as many pirates as he could, until they saw a golden light flash into the clearing and fly all around them in very quick orbital. Donald was the first to notice who it really was and quickly snapped his bill shut.

"Hey Tink!" Sora cried and the light flashed a bright yellow revealing the green-dressed fairy Tinkerbell who had clearly come from wherever Peter was. Sora bent on his knees a little bit to speak to Tinkerbell at her own level. "Do you know where Peter is?" As if response to this very question there was a very large rooster crow from over the horizon and Peter Pan came flying over the tree tops as the Lost Boys followed on the ground below. Peter landed gracefully in the grove and the first thing he saw was Sora.

"Sora! Well, you look all grown up!" Peter said cheerfully, pleased that even as a grown-up his old friend Sora had not forgotten him. "It's been a while hasn't it?"

"Eight years…how've you been Peter?" Sora asked but before Peter could answer they all heard Donald mumble something that Sora quickly figured out regarded to Peter's comment about him being grown up.

"Yeah…but he still acts like a kid…" Donald said grumpily and Sora merely glared at him. Peter laughed at the comment and even the Lost Boys took notice and began to gather around Donald almost adoringly.

"Peter, can they be our mother?" one of them asked and now it was Sora's turn to laugh so hard that his insides hurt from laughing so much. Donald, on the other hand, flew off the handle completely.

"Wak! I'm a duck, not a mother hen!!!" Donald yelled and now Goofy joined in the laughter and soon the whole entire clearing was ringing with the sound of joyous laughter. When it at last ceased, Peter asked the question burning on all the resident's minds.

"So, Sora, what brings you to Neverland?" Peter asked, his hands on his hips as he looked at him. Sora sighed and quickly explained the situation.

"Hook kidnapped my fiancée and took her aboard his ship. We don't want to storm it so we thought we could ask for your help in creating a diversion while I free Kairi." Sora said succinctly and Peter thought on it for a moment in time. He quickly decided however.

"Of course I will. You helped Wendy last time, it's only fair that I help you but…do you guys remember how to fly?" Peter said and Sora grinned widely. At the grin his feet lifted slightly into the air and he hovered like that for a moment before allowing himself to touch back down. Donald and Goofy also did the same thing. Donald had a little more difficulty coming off the ground but he managed it and Goofy drifted lazily along until he hit a tree and slid down it. Sora shook his head; typical Donald and Goofy for you. Peter smiled at them, glad they remembered as Goofy came back up to them. Donald nudged Sora quickly.

"I bet I know what made you happy!" Donald said cajolingly. Sora nudged Donald right back, annoyed at the duck's frankness.

"Okay then Peter, shall we get to planning or do you already have an idea in mind?" Sora said, the grin springing back onto his face.

"Don't worry about that Sora…I have the perfect plan already in mind. We've been working on it for weeks but I'm sure you three will pick it up in no time." Peter said with a devilish grin and Donald could only help himself by sighing.

"Oh brother…this'll be a bit much…" Donald said and shook his head.

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In the seas of Neverland, the _Jolly Roger_ stood as a silent sentinel in the waters. However, unlike the ship itself the pirates did not share that same trait: silent sentinel. If anything they were being loud, drunk, and obnoxious brutes on the deck outside the captain's cabin and were so loud that Hook yelled at Smee more than once to keep them down. But, of course, Smee failed at even this slight task, opting to join the men instead. It quite jubilant for them that evening given the fact they had actually managed to capture someone successfully and now there was very little waiting left to do before the trip to Maleficent would start off again. So the pirates passed the rum around and Smee lifted his glass tallest.

"To Captain Hook! The greatest pirate ever!!" Smee cried and all of the pirates cried out jubilantly and began eating the bread and cheese being served on the ship. Nothing, no harm, could befall them. They had finally fully relaxed when Smee, being the first to hear it, flung out of his chair. On the horizon there was a rooster crow and then another one from the opposite direction. Smee, of course, realized it for what it was. "It's Peter Pan!"

"PETER PAN?!!!" The pirates cried and though many of them wanted to hide from the menace they grabbed their swords to do battle with the legendary boy. Smee, meanwhile, ran up to the captain's cabin and knocked furiously on the door.

"Captain? Oh, Captain Hook?" Smee said and the door soon swung open rapidly. Hook saw that Smee was wringing and twisting his hands almost in fear. "Peter Pan is coming!"

"Blast that Peter Pan!" Hook cried as he quickly got his sword from the room. "Well, hop to it Smee! I'm going to make sure our prisoner stays there." Hook said and he shut the door. The moment that the door was shut Peter came flying through the starlit sky, dagger in hand and all of his friends and allies, save for one chestnut haired man, flying closely behind him. The Lost Boys dropped their own homemade bombs on the pirates and all of the pirates began to scurry rapidly. They then landed on the Crow's nest and the highest deck and began firing off their slingshots. Donald took to circling the ship and pelting all of the pirates with magic and many of them jumped overboard as their pants began steaming.

Goofy meanwhile had landed on the deck and began defending himself from the pirate's blades. He then tossed his shield onto the floor of the ship and jumped on top of it. He rode the shield around like a surfboard and soon many of the pirates were knocked to their feet. Some of them had been knocked overboard and quickly swam away from the _Jolly Roger_. Peter laughed as the remaining pirates attempted to regroup.

"Lost Boys, ATTACK!" Peter cried and all of the Lost Boys leapt into battle, Donald and Goofy along side them.

Below deck, Kairi heard the sounds of the attack long before anything of interest happened to her. She got the hope in her head that at last Sora had come to save her and was busy fighting the battle above deck to save her. She struggled against her bonds once again but soon realized, to her dismay, they were still holding fast. She was about to give up and stop struggling altogether when the door began creaking open. Kairi's strength to not be captured again doubled and she was prepared to fight and bite her way through anyone that would try to take her away. At last the door was open fully and she lashed out and the person entering stepped back.

"Relax, Kairi. It's me, Sora!" Sora said as he entered, raising his hands defensively. Kairi sighed in relief.

"Sora!" Kairi cried but Sora quickly shushed her. Kairi nodded her head.

"Come on, let's get you out of here." Sora summoned his Keyblade and Kairi marveled at the brilliant sheen of the Oathkeeper Keyblade. Sora pointed the Keyblade at each of Kairi's manacles in turn and they all freed her. She quickly sprang up and summoned her own Keyblade into her hands. With a nod from Sora, the two flung opened the door and stepped into the hold.

As soon as they did, they wished they hadn't. Sharp smoke stung their eyes immediately and both recoiled from it. It wasn't a burning smoke but it was enough to deter their progress. They tried to move their way ahead but Sora soon felt as though he'd lost the warmth of Kairi next to him and decided that perhaps it was just best to make the smoke vanish.

"Aero!" Sora yelled loudly and a huge shield of wind surrounded him for a moment, clearing away the smoke. Sora looked around desperately but saw that Kairi was nowhere in sight. Cursing to himself mentally he quickly followed the path he knew through the ship to the top of the deck. The journey didn't take long and there were no pirates up against him. At last he reached the deck where all of his friends were now battling the last straggling remnants of the pirates. Peter flew up to him.

"Sora, did you get Kairi?" Peter asked with concern and Sora shook his head. Peter scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm…I thought for sure our plan would work."

"No, it worked. I found her and freed her but then someone set a trap for us and kidnapped her again!" Sora cried out in anguish before a new and villainous voice joined the chorus.

"Oh, looking for someone?" Hook asked and all of Sora's allies turned to face its owner. He was standing in front of the plank with a smile on his fast and the sword out.

"Hook, let Kairi go!" Sora said, swinging his Keyblade with force. Hook laughed in return to the statement.

"I think not!" Hook said with glee. "You see, I think your girlfriend faces the choice of walking the plank!" Hook moved aside to show that Kairi was indeed teetering and tottering on the edge of the plank. Hook laughed jubilantly. Sora groaned…he would not be defeated.

"Yeah well, say your prayers Hook because we're not gonna let that happen!" Peter said and Hook scowled at him before lunging at Sora with his sword. Sora deftly brought the Keyblade up and blocked the blow. The rest of his companions went back to beating up the pirates and Peter flew around and picked up Kairi from the planks. "So, you're Kairi? Nice to meet you, I'm-"

"Peter Pan!" Kairi said happily as Peter set her down. She summoned her Keyblade again. She was no longer going to be a damsel in distress. She winked at peter and then ran headlong into the battle.

On the widest area of the deck itself Sora was dueling Hook fiercely. The two warriors matched each other tit-for-tat. When Hook swung his blade down, Sora would block it and if he force his blade up, Sora could easily measure up to the strike. If Hook would jab at him Sora would catch the blow on the shaft of his Keyblade and twist away from the attack. Their fight managed to span the length of the whole entire deck and many members in the siege, pirates and Lost Boys alike, shirked away from the battlefield. Neither had a decided advantage other than the fact that Sora used the mythical Keyblade and Hook did not and for a good five minutes, all looked on as the pirate and the Keyblade Master dueled. Until, at last, Hook made a fatal move. Hook jabbed at Sora and his blade got caught in the wide, open space in between the shaft of Sora's Keyblade. Sora smirked and then with a quick and mighty twist of his Keyblade, Hook's sword broke into pieces and shattered.

Hook looked at the hilt of his sword, now with no steel sitting on it at all and screamed loudly. Without a further thought he jumped into the water. Only then did he realize the folly he made. The Crocodile and Octopus were both waiting for him and Hook set off quickly across the sea. The Lost Boys cheered as the remainder of the pirates flung into the sea and Kairi quickly ran down to Sora's level and into his embrace.

"I almost thought I was going to lose you Kairi…" Sora said, admitting his fear and Kairi didn't say anything. She just put a finger to his lips and then the two began to kiss passionately. The Lost Boys, disgusted at the spectacle turned away from it all. The two Keyblade wielders stayed that way for a while until at last Donald cleared his throat and the two broke apart. "I'm glad to see you again."

"So am I…but…you're not going to make me go back to the king are you?" Kairi asked with a worried look on her face. Sora shook his head with laughter.

"No you'll go with us now." Sora said before looking at his Keyblade and reverting its Keychain to the standard Kingdom Key. He handed Kairi her lucky charm back and she smiled. Then they all looked at Peter as he flew to the sky with his Lost Boys.

"Well, Sora, always a pleasure to see you. I'm glad you haven't forgotten me. And if you ever want to never grow up just look to the second star on the right…" Peter began and Sora finished for him.

"And straight on till morning!" Sora cried and Peter nodded, giving one last rooster crow before he and the Lost Boys departed.

"Speaking of stars…" Donald began. "The king wanted us to meet him at the Castle of Dreams so let's get going." Sora shook his head and Donald was shocked at the Keyblade Master's disobedience.

"No, we've been playing defensive too long. His Majesty said he's going somewhere else so we have a bit of time, right?" Goofy and Donald nodded while Kairi tried to keep up, still completely lost from everything that had happened. "So I say we go on the offensive and take down a well known member of Maleficent's little gang…and we can meet with some old friends." Donald instantly realized what Sora was talking about.

"Oh boy! To the land of heroes!" Donald cried out triumphantly and Goofy leant in near his ear.

"Ya mean, Junior Heroes Donald." Goofy said and Donald whipped out his staff and beat him on the head a bit.

"I'd say we're heroes now, so let's go!" Sora said, about to raise his Keyblade into the air. Kairi quickly turned to him before they could transport.

"Where are we going exactly?" Kairi asked, more confused than when she had woken up on the _Jolly Roger_. Sora grinned at her in the way she had fallen in love with and answered succinctly.

"Olympus Coliseum." Sora said, and they were whisked away from Neverland.

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Author's Note: No, that was NOT a cliffhanger! In any case, we're not going to cover Sora next anyway. But any devoted readers of this story will understand that Hades is no longer part of Maleficent's Hellfire Club so what will happen when the gang goes to attack him? What are Mickey and Demora going to be up to on Enchanted Dominion? And where are Riku and Gentai fitting into all this? My only answer is: patience, my friends, all shall be told in time. Regardless, Olympus Coliseum will serve a dual function that I won't tell you what it is but I will say that my 2

**nd**** favorite FF character will enter there and it should be easy to figure out (my 1****st**** favorite is already in KH). In any case, on a shorter side note…I hope you've realized these writer's notes are not just me talking and rambling but rather things I would hope you address in your reviews please so I can have feedback. You may of course, give me more, but I like having those thoughts answered. In any case, please review and as always Dare to Be Silly.**

**STRANGE NOTE: If any of you are wondering why I call myself MindReader13 and not some Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy name it is because long before the sixth Harry Potter book came out my friends and I made a spoof off of it (the first three stories are on this site) in movie format. I played Professor Drape/Spade (Snape) and in movies 1 and 3 our protagonist thought he could read minds, hence the name. (Which also means we predicted that Snape could read minds!! We rock!!)**


	19. Chapter 18: The Prince and the King

**DISCLAIMER: I must get to class but I don't own this.**

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Chapter 18

The Prince and the King

"_Maleficent was responsible for the destruction of our world."_

-Aurora, before the worlds were restored

Mickey sighed as he settled down into his captain's chair. _Welp, that could have gone worse with Sora…_he thought to himself. He was glad that he had informed Sora of Kairi's capture and now could only hope that Sora wouldn't try anything too rash. Of course, if he knew Sora, rash wasn't very far behind. He chuckled to himself and Demora looked over at him. Demora felt it was kind of strange to be with the King of Disney Castle all by herself. She wasn't a Keyblade wielder, she was barely even a fighter and yet here she was with the most revered and respected ruler in the galaxy.

She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. Thoughts of Gentai filled her head. Sora would go to any lengths to rescue Kairi and she was pretty sure that Kairi would probably do the same for Sora. But what about her and Gentai; would the rules apply or would they fall by the wayside? She glanced over at Mickey who also had his eyes closed and seemed to be meditating in a certain manner. So she decided to strike up a conversation.

"Your Majesty?" Demora asked and Mickey stirred, glancing over at her with a smile. "I was just wondering, as king of many worlds, how many have you been to?" Mickey thought about this a moment.

"Welp, lots of 'em actually…but there have always been worlds that are really important to the future of our galaxy. Radiant Garden, Twilight Town, your homeworld, and of course the worlds of the princesses." Mickey answered her, though it seemed more as though he was dodging the question. Demora shrugged off that matter though and looked at the star chart in front of her. She pointed to the world that had a red circle spinning around it.

"That's where we're going?" Demora asked and Mickey nodded before deciding to at least answer the reason why they were going there.

"Enchanted Dominion. Homeworld of Aurora, one of the princesses of heart." Mickey furrowed his brow as he finished saying this and Demora saw that his demeanor had indeed gotten dark at last. "And the world from which Maleficent originally came." Demora threw him a shocked look.

"This is Maleficent's world?!" Demora asked in shock and Mickey nodded, his gaze ever-darkening. Demora looked once more to the star chart. They were only two hours away from arrival. There they would spend a day to check up on the princess and get the Gummi Ship back up to top speed and working order. With this new information in her brain, Demora could only hope that Maleficent wouldn't prove vengeful during their stay there.

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The Huntsman gasped in pain as he was flung backwards. He tumbled off the top balcony of the Hall of Empty Melodies and landed with a crash down below, gasping in pain. At the top of the stairs, adorned in all her wicked ways, was Maleficent, the bulb on the top of her staff growing brightly as if she had just used it. The Huntsman attempted to get to his feet but quickly crumpled, unable to take much more from the crushing staff's spells. He gasped in pain, his mistress nearly bearing down upon him. He at last found the small strength left in his body to stand up. As he did, green flames formed around the perimeter of the rectangular area in the Hall of Empty Melodies. He grimaced as Maleficent's shadow emerged from the flames.

"You have failed me…" Maleficent said in the most sinister tone she could muster. The Huntsman held his hands in front of his face as though to shield himself from the incoming onslaught. Maleficent waved her staff around and flung him into the air and back onto the floor where he let out a sharp noise of pain as he hit the ground. "Even Pete, whose intelligence measures up to that of an amoeba could have succeeded in turning Ratcliffe into a Heartless where you did not!"

"I'm sorry!" the Huntsman cried, the heat from the green flames beginning to cause large perspiration on his body. Maleficent, however, cared no more for his words. Were he still not valuable to her she would cast him deep into the raging flames. She waved her staff and at last the flames dissipated.

"I shall spare you this day, for I still have much need of you and your work in the days ahead." Maleficent said with a sneer and the Huntsman hung his head in shame. "But know this, should you fail, I will cast you into the Horned King's dungeons of Annuvin and there you shall rot until your heart is devoured!"

"I…I will not fail you." the Huntsman said, at last finding the strength to stand proudly on his two legs. Maleficent gave him a glare of death and the Huntsman bowed before opening a dark portal before him. He put one foot in the portal before glancing back at Maleficent. "And what shall be done this time?"

"I shall make an entrance…a return rather…and you should prepare to strike that boy's homeworld and crush him beneath our fingers once and for all." Maleficent said and she let off a cackle as the Huntsman stepped through the portal and at last disappeared.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The _H.R.M.S. Pearl _at last entered into orbit around Enchanted Dominion. Demora felt slightly strange as she prepared to beam down to the world. She was so used to feeling excited upon entrance to a new world but this time the excitement was merely gone and she was only fixed with determination of going to this world. Mickey looked at her and she nodded. Mickey then flipped and hit the switch. The Gummi Ship then sent both of them down onto the world of Enchanted Dominion. There was a large bridge that they landed on, leading to an even more imposing castle. Demora took a step forward on the cold stone that led to the castle and looked at it. The sun was shining over the castle and indeed shone over them. Demora saw that the structure and the stone and marble of the castle were phenomenal and were both she and Mickey not on a mission she would have taken time to marvel at the beautiful architecture of the area. Still, she wanted to take in as much as she possibly could and so did a quick scan of the horizon.

She noticed a beautiful and lush forest in the distance and also a small cottage that looked absolutely adorable. But Demora got the feeling that they weren't entering into that area and were in fact going to the castle itself. This was proven beyond d a doubt when Mickey began walking forward. Mickey set off at a running pace soon after that towards the castle gates. Demora nodded and ran off to follow him. Thanks to her legs being longer than the king's she was able to quickly catch up with him and joined him on the run to the castle gates. When they reached the gates at last, Mickey looked at Demora and she understood that it was her job. She knocked on the gates. There was no answer at first and Demora looked at Mickey.

"Uh…Your Majesty, if you can use the Keyblade, why not just unlock the gates?" Demora asked, the corner of her lips almost twitching into a smile. Mickey shook his head and smiled at her.

"Because we have to show some common courtesy, that's why." Mickey said, and sure enough, soon the gates swung open for them. Demora nodded her head, impressed and the two walked in. A battalion of soldiers walked up to them and Demora sighed. Here they were with the group of soldiers again. But this time it was a little different as the soldiers immediately bowed before the King of Disney Castle.

"Your Majesty, such an unexpected visit this is. His Highness, King Phillip will be most surprised." the guard at the front of the line, presumably the head, spoke to them. Mickey nodded and told them all to rise immediately.

"If it would please you, we would like to be taken to King Phillip and Queen Aurora." Mickey said with stern approval of the decorum of the soldiers. The soldiers bowed again and then the lead soldier took heed of the young woman standing with the king.

"This young lady, she is with you, Your Majesty?" the head guard asked, pointing his gaze at Demora who raised an eyebrow as if to ask the soldier: _No, I'm with the cheer squad…of course I'm with him!_ Mickey also looked at Demora.

"Yes, Demora is with me and she shall be with me as we meet with His Highness King Phillip." The soldier quickly acquiesced to the terms and began to lead the duo to the very castle itself. Demora was now able to take the architecture of the castle in complete and full measure. It was definitely more beautiful than Arthur's castle had been and this was one abode she would not mind vacationing in or staying in…of course, if it had had the rudimentary technology updates. She was so absorbed in the design of the area, it took her a few moments to realize that Mickey was speaking to her.

"What?" she finally said, jerking out of her reverie. Mickey fixed her with a stern glance and she laughed while smiling sheepishly.

"I was saying that while we're staying here…I don't want it to be for long, after all, we do have to meet Sora, Donald, and Goofy at the Castle of Dreams…" Mickey seemed about to start rambling on and so Demora made him cut straight to the point.

"What do you need me to do Your Majesty?" Demora said and Mickey smiled at her, realizing himself, that he was rambling.

"I want you to take care of most of our repairs. You can contact Chip and Dale on the Gummi Ship and they should be able to help you efficiently." Mickey told her this and Demora could do nothing but nod. She did want to be able to move the Gummi Ship faster anyway. That was the last Mickey spoke to her until at last they were outside of what the soldier proclaimed to be the Great Hall. He knocked three times on the door and the soldiers on the other side opened it for them. They strode into the magnificent hall and saw, seated at the far end of a rather large table, Their Majesties, King Phillip and Queen Aurora. However, though they were both royalty, upon Mickey's entrance, they stood up and bowed to him. Aurora then quickly shuttled down the hall and hugged the king.

"Your Majesty, to what do we owe this pleasure?" Aurora asked and Mickey smiled at her. She smiled fondly back at him. Before Mickey could begin, Phillip had ambled over and instantly offered the two traveling companions to a seat at the table. They graciously took it and Mickey gave them a very quick summary of what had happened.

"Overall, Sora's wedding was cancelled due to a Heartless attack so we fear that Maleficent may be on the move now. As you're one of the princesses of heart, it's important that we make sure that you're safe." Mickey said without many breaths in the whole entire conversation.

"Surely Maleficent wouldn't try something so rash again. The last time she tried it, it nearly destroyed her and it did destroy Ansem…forgive me, Xehanort's Heartless." Aurora said and Mickey shrugged at this mention.

"Still, even if we don't know, we gotta make sure that all the princesses are safe and you're one of 'em. Sora's informed me that the other three are safe on their own worlds and we're going to Cinderella's next." Mickey told her and she thought about this a moment.

"Well, what about Kairi?" Aurora asked concernedly.

"Oh, she got kidnapped but we're pretty sure that Sora's pissed enough to go and beat the crap out of anyone who stops him from rescuing her." Demora said cheerily and Aurora gave her a sweet smile that still conveyed the question that asked who she was. "I'm Demora Suwara, of Destiny Islands." Demora held out her hand and Aurora gingerly shook it.

"Well, Maleficent has caused our world quite enough trouble and we would be more than happy to get rid of the witch." Phillip said, standing up and straightening out his kingly robes. "Your Majesty, if there is anything we can do to help we will gladly do it."

"Thanks Phillip, but we wouldn't want to impose at all." Mickey said graciously and Phillip shook his head.

"Not at all. In fact, tonight you shall dine in our hall and stay in our castle." Phillip said, clapping a hand on the mouse's back. "And tomorrow we shall provide you with anything you need to complete your quest." He clapped his hands once and a multitude of servants came into the hall. They then led both Mickey and Demora out of the hall and down a hallway filled with a large number of doors and rooms. Demora entered into the third door on her right and Mickey, the fourth door on his left. The servants then left. Mickey was glad that Phillip would be able to help…but he sensed an uneasiness around him. He walked to the open window and looked up to the night sky. No stars were winking out…nothing disappearing forever…but if Maleficent wasn't up to that, then what indeed was she up to?

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Author's Note: Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know it was a little more of a filler chapter (and a short one at that) but I haven't had one in a while so I put it in here. However, I have given you a glance into Maleficent's plans so have fun figuring that one out. We go back to Sora and the others next.

**Lord Moldybutt: Yes, the Horned King may be stronger but I'm following the movies mostly here and for a VERY specific reason. I may bring him back as we know he will be destroyed later but for now, think of their relationship as that of equal respect with each other.**

**Now, this will sound strange coming from an 18 year old guy, but after finding the revival of the only good TV show on Disney Channel I was thinking about putting it in my final installment. What is this show you may ask? None other than **_**Kim Possible**_** of course. Let me know if you think I should put it in since I have an idea of how I can put it in and I would be using the plotline from the movie **_**So the Drama**_**. Let me know, review, and Dare to Be Silly.**


	20. Chapter 19: Warrior From the Dead

**DISCLAIMER: I, in no way, own Kingdom Hearts, Hercules, Final Fantasy X, or FFVII or Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII.**

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Chapter 19

Warrior from the Dead

"_I lived my life, defending others."_

-Auron

"Oh boy!" Donald cried as the Gummi Ship shot its way towards Olympus Coliseum and was, in fact, within only ten minutes of the destination. "We get to be heroes again!!"

"Yeah!" Sora cried out loud and Kairi was almost prepared to bury her face in her arms. She had never been with the likes of these three ever before and now it seemed almost to be too much for her. Of course, she knew only one fact, the trip would most assuredly be exciting. "Hey, I wonder if any new games have opened up since our last visit."

"Well, we won't know till we look!" Goofy chimed out and the two began a chant of "We're the ultimate heroes!" over and over while Sora rocked the ship back and forth. Kairi almost felt herself getting squeamish for a moment until at last Sora calmed down. To her delight, she saw the world of Olympus Coliseum fast approaching. She sighed in relief as it grew closer and right as they were on top of the world they screeched to a halt and Kairi was nearly pitched forward. Thankfully, Sora caught her.

"Sorry about that Kairi." Sora said with a grin and then got out of the captain's chair. He led his group over to the beaming devices and all four stood there. While Sora was putting in the coordinates however, Donald leaned over to Sora.

"Just remember to land us in the Coliseum and NOT the Underworld, Sora." Donald said and Sora flashed him a sheepish grin. Then he flicked the switch and the four were sent down onto the world of Olympus Coliseum. Sora had not failed this time and the four of them stood in the now rebuilt entrance to the Coliseum, the gates being pristine and the boards that showed all the cups Sora had fought in were glittering in the sunlight. He stood proudly as he saw this board and marveled at his achievements.

"All right, let's go the coliseum and talk to Phil. Maybe he and Hercules might know what Hades has been up to!" Sora said and he ran forward. Donald and Goofy tailed right up behind him but Kairi merely sighed and walked after them. Sora quickly pushed open the door to the coliseum and walked into the Atrium. There was nobody there at the present time but it didn't deter the group whatsoever. Kairi finally entered in and saw all the marvelous trophies.

"Sora, are these trophies a sign of all the work you three did here?" Kairi asked in awe, wondering why Sora had neglected to mention all the dangerous tournaments he had taken part in on his adventures. Sora gave a short laugh.

"Only half of that!" Sora said proudly. "Our other work is in the Underworld, and let me tell you, that was even tougher. The Hades Paradox cup was totally brutal…especially the matches I had to face on my own. It took five cure spells each from Donald and me to finally get rid of the damage I got from that battle." Kairi gasped at learning all the risks her husband had taken. But Sora waved it off and led the party out of the now tightly packed atrium and into the open coliseum. Phil was standing there, yelling out orders to two participants practicing in the rings.

"Okay, careful, keep up the pressure. Remember what I told you about victory in battle. It comes down to two simple words: speed, strength, and endurance." Phil yelled to the two combatants as they twirled around and attempted to hit at each other. Sora, Donald and Goofy laughed and Kairi just remained confused as to how two words could possibly equal three. Phil heard the laughter from behind him and turned around. "HEY!" the satyr yelled and he ran over to them. Sora, Donald, and Goofy smiled.

"What's up Phil?" Sora said with a wide grin. Phil chuckled a bit.

"It's been a while since I saw you guys. How are my heroes doin'?" Phil asked.

"I told you we were heroes!" Donald yelled at Goofy. Then Phil noticed Kairi standing there. He was about to inquire about her but Sora soon noticed the two combatants. One of them was wearing a read cloak as he spun his large blade around, blocking the sword swipes of the other contestant. The other contestant in the meantime was wearing a black shirt and had long and spiky black hair. Sora would have thought he was familiar looking if it wasn't for the black hair. Sora, however, called out to the red-clothed guy.

"Auron!" Sora cried. Auron's blade locked with the other man's and the two then jumped apart, prematurely ending their battle. Auron glanced over at them for a moment. He reached into a pocket of his cloak and took out some sunglasses, putting them over his face. He then walked over, the other warrior walking just behind him.

"Sora…Donald…Goofy." Auron said, indicating that he indeed remembered them and all three smiled at him. But Sora's gaze quickly switched to the man behind him.

"Who's he?" Sora asked and Kairi hit him on the head, blaming him for being so inconsiderate. The mn just laughed however.

"The name's Zack, SOLDIER 1st Class." the man, Zack, said, holding out a hand and allowing Sora to shake it.

"You seem familiar…do we know each other?" Sora said and Zack shook his head. Then a gear clunked into place. "I get it! You look a lot like Cloud!" Zack let out a hearty laugh.

"Yeah, I know Cloud. I died to give him a chance to live." Zack said and all four of the travelers took a step back. "Relax…dead isn't all that bad."

"But, uh, if you're dead," Goofy began a little embarrassed to continue. "Then, uh, how are ya here?" Both Zack and Auron gave a chuckle at the statement. Zack was the one who decided to answer this question.

"Olympus Coliseum had some visitors a few months ago. Hades was a little angry and so he decided to take out both Hercules and the visitors with one fatal blow." Zack laughed. "He summoned me from the Underworld but I didn't bite at the bait. I may be a mercenary but I've always held onto my honor."

"So, if Hades summoned you…did you escape?" Sora asked, completely intrigued as to the nature of this whole thing. Zack nodded and continued on.

"Of course, that didn't make me safe in his Underworld. Luckily, I ran into Auron here who found the statue containing my soul and used it to free me from service to Hades." Zack put succinctly and all of them nodded as though they understood it, though for all points and purposes they understood not a thing of it. Auron picked up the thread of explanation to put it all right in their heads.

"If you release the soul from Hades' statue that soul is free to wander like a live person, such as I have, save for the fact that they are not really made of flesh and blood but merely pyreflies." Auron said shrugging his shoulders. Sora smiled at him as Auron bent down and picked up a canister, drinking from it quickly.

"So, Hades is still trying to take Herc down, huh?" Sora asked jokingly and Phil was the one to answer this time.

"Yeah, the guy's never given up yet and I don't think he ever will." Phil said with sigh and all four of the companions looked at him. Goofy then looked around the stadium and seemed to notice that something was missing.

"Uh, where is Hercules?" Goofy asked, slightly confused as to why he wasn't there. "And where's Megara too?" Phil quirked an eyebrow at them and answered.

"Herc's off visiting his mother and father on Olympus while Meg's off in the town, shopping for stuff." Phil said with a smirk and Sora chuckled. Kairi was tempted to hit him over the head for that but decided to restrain herself and instead tried to reel him back on the right track.

"Sora…weren't we here for something?" Kairi said after clearing her throat and Sora shot a grin at her that conveyed the idea that he had clearly forgotten all about it.

"That's right, we wanted to teach Hades a thing or two, and he's _long_ overdue." Sora said with a slightly malicious smile. "Not to mention we know he's working with Maleficent…he always does."

"So what? You three are heading into the Underworld again?" Phil said before letting out a large peal of raucous laughter that filled the coliseum airspace. Sora and Donald both glared at the satyr as his fits of the giggles subsided.

"What's so funny?!!" Donald demanded, jumping up and down as his hat hopped on and off his head. Phil finally ceased his laughing but was clutching his sides as though he hurt himself. When he finally regained control of his body he answered them.

"You guys got nerve…tryin' to take on Hades only a few moments after ya got here." Phil said. "Well, I'd go with ya but I'd rather not let the Underworld get my goat if you know what I'm saying."

"No problem Phil!!" Donald chimed out before taking a very proud stance in front of all the people there. "That's what we heroes are for!!" Sora and Goofy chuckled as Donald finished his statement. Even Kairi let a small giggle escape her lips.

"Well, if you're going to the Underworld…" Auron began and Zack quickly finished it up for him.

"We'll go with you. We've got a big score to settle with Hades." Zack stated and quickly slung his sword onto his back with a smirk. Sora smiled at them and readily welcomed their help coming to him.

"All right then guys! Let's get going!" Sora said, throwing a fist into the air in triumph, despite the fact that they hadn't even started. But then Sora eyed the figure of Kairi and made a split-second decision in his mind. "But Kairi, you stay here." Instantly, Kairi's face reddened.

"EXCUSE ME!!!" Kairi yelled and Sora felt as though she were a ferocious beast bellowing and roaring at him. "I'm sick of being left behind. Is that all I am, some dumb princess who doesn't know how to fight?"

"No, that's not it!" Sora cried out quickly, waving his hands in front of his face in order to defend himself. He knew better than anybody that Kairi was truly scary when she got angry and could easily rip anyone to shreds in that mood. "It's just…last time we were here we obtained the power of the Olympus Stone and you don't have that so in the Underworld you'll be seriously weakened." Kairi raised a threatening eyebrow at him and Sora took a tiny step back. Kairi then shot her own remark at him.

"And your point is?" Kairi said with a glint of malice appearing in her eyes. Then she walked off to the atrium, screaming out before she left, "I'll meet you all by the gates." And then she was gone. All of Sora's companions, including Auron and Zack looked at him before following Kairi. Sora stood there for a moment, wringing his hands.

"Love is complicated…" Sora said with a sigh before he found Phil staring at him. "Right…wait up!" Sora cried and he ran after the receding group. Sora quickly ran ahead of the group and led the way into the Underworld. The Underdrome was shining in the distance and Sora shuddered to think of what Hades was doing to keep it all in business. Donald took a quick scan around.

"Well, at least there are no Heartless, and no Cerberus here…" Donald said with relief. Zack shook his head however.

"Still, let's be careful or we will be Cerberus meat very quickly." Zack said. Then he motioned the group forward and led them into the Path of the Dead. Sora decided to strike up a conversation with Zack as they walked along.

"So, uh, Zack, how well did you know Cloud?" Sora asked him, determined to find out how much they knew each other. "I mean, Cloud is from Radiant Garden so…"

"Cloud isn't from Radiant Garden." Zack stated stoutly and Sora looked at him with a muddled expression. Zack sighed as though preparing for an interesting topic. "Cloud and Tifa are both from the world of Midgar, a place long left in ruins now. They ran away from that world…I…wasn't so lucky. Do you know Sephiroth?"

"Yeah, I know Sephiroth. I fought him once." Sora said. "He was pretty strong."

"He was a revered hero on our world. Then he found out about what made him and it drove him crazy. I fought him and I lost. Cloud took my sword and stabbed him. He looked after Tifa until Sephiroth emerged and in order to defeat Sephiroth Cloud was impaled himself. For the next four years we were experimented on by Professor Hojo. I finally woke up and broke out. I carried Cloud out of Nibelheim."

"That's some real friendship." Sora said and Zack smiled, nodding at him.

"He had a severe Mako addiction and another foe named Genesis was hunting him. I defeated Genesis and Cloud and I tried to make it back to Midgar…and her…but along the way we ran into Shinra troops and…perhaps, it would be better if I just showed you." Zack halted Sora and put his hand on top of the younger man's spikes. Instantly, Sora's vision melted away and the vision of Zack's final moments began.

_There was a rock precipice overlooking a large, industrial city. Zack Fair was lying on those rocks, bleeding profusely from the amount of bullet holes that had riddled his body. He had fought to the last breath, down to the last three soldiers pared down from a whole entire army and yet here he was. There were swords, helmets, and bodies everywhere…all courtesy of the First Class SOLDIER lying there, dying. There was movement and a spiky haired blonde crawled along, finally stirring from his coma. He crawled to his defeated friend as the rain drummed upon him. He looked at the bleeding man._

_"Z-Zack?" Cloud Strife asked his dying friend and he gasped for air. Zack looked at him, the blood streaming even faster now, unable to be washed away by the rain._

_"For the…both of us…" Zack strained to say, and yet managed to get out. Cloud merely looked at him._

_"Both…of us?" Cloud asked and Zack nodded slightly._

_"That's right…" Zack gasped. "You're gonna…" But he couldn't finish the sentence he was about to say and so Cloud picked it up._

_"You're gonna…?" Cloud asked him and Zack put his hand behind his friend's head and pushed it down onto his bleeding chest, covering Cloud's locks of hair with blood._

_"Live." Zack finished. "You'll be…my living legacy." Cloud lifted his head to stare once more at his dying friend. Zack's hand gripped the Buster Sword lying next to him and he lifted it up, trying to give it to Cloud. "My honor…my dreams…" There was a small pause before Zack said resolutely. "They're yours now." Cloud took the sword and jerked it away as Zack's hand fell. Cloud stared at him._

_"I'm…your living…legacy?" Zack just smiled and closed his eyes and Cloud screamed a cry that reached the heavens. Zack's voice called out to Cloud in that dismal place._

_"Embrace your dreams. If you want to be a hero, you need to have dreams." Cloud looked at the now clearing sky._

_"Thank you. I won't forget." Cloud got up, dragging the Buster Sword. He nodded at the figure of his dead friend. "Good night…Zack." And he walked away. But Zack's spirit was still there for a moment._

_"That girl…she said that the sky…frightened her…That looks so…liberating." Zack's eyes opened, the blood gone from his face. "Those wings…I want them too." And Zack was lifted into the air. He smiled. "It fells…good. If you see Aerith, say hi for me. Hey, would you say…I became a hero." And the connection was terminated._

Sora staggered backward after receiving such a shock from viewing the scene. Zack looked at him grimly for a moment. Sora looked into his own blue eyes, very much like his own.

"I think you became a hero…after what you did…" Sora said a melancholy tone in his voice. Zack smiled at him.

"Come on. Wouldn't want to keep Hades waiting." Zack stated and he led the troupe forward into the greenish swirling vortex of the Underworld until at last they were outside the door to Hades' chamber. Zack gave a signal to them and Sora and Kairi both summoned their Keyblades entering with the others into the room.

"Hades! The game is up!" Sora said, brandishing his Keyblade at the blue lit Lord of the Dead. Hades gave a start upon their entrance, shocked and surprised to see them.

"You guys again?!" Hades exclaimed and Sora smirked. "Why can't you people ever leave me in peace?!!!" Hades lit up in flame and tossed a red fireball at them. Sora waved his Keyblade and instantly brought up a reflect shield which bounced the fire off and into the wall.

"Nice try." Sora said in a cocky tone and he leapt at Hades, swiping down, but Hades disappeared in a puff of smoke and appeared on the other side of the room. He brushed off his arm and glared at them.

"Look, I'm outta the game here fellas, if you got a bone to pick here go pick it with Maleficent." Hades said, splotches of red flame appearing on his otherwise blue flames.

"Yeah, we would. If we could get to her!" Kairi cried out and Hades at last took notice of the red-haired female in the room. He jerked his finger at her.

"That's the girl?" Hades said. He scoffed a bit. "I would've thought she would have been something a bit more…how should I put it? Special."

"Leave Kairi out of this!" Sora cried and both he and Donald fired chunks of ice at the Lord of the Dead who summoned a flame wall to melt it. However, as soon as he dropped it, Auron rushed in.

"Your pain shall be twofold!" Auron yelled and he swiped at Hades who disappeared and reappeared on his throne.

"Will you stop running around?!" Zack demanded and Hades shrugged. Zack ran at him but Hades merely flicked his finger and a blast of fire came out, angering at Zack. But Goofy and jumped in front, his shield extended and blocked the shot.

"Why are you guys here anyway?" Hades asked snottily. "I've been good lately. I mean, sure, I've been trying to eliminate Hercules but I never take a day off of that."

"Where's Maleficent and what's she up to?" Sora yelled, his Keyblade hanging in the air threateningly. Hades gave an enormous chuckle.

"Oh, clearly you didn't get the memo." He hopped down off his throne and went to Sora. "I don't work with her anymore." Sora stepped back in shock.

"What? But you always work with her?!" Sora said in surprise and Hades gave another chuckle.

"Not anymore. Not after she betrayed me." Hades turned around to look out of the window in his room. "But…I could give you the names of everyone she's working with. You know, it would be beneficial for the both of us." Hades whipped around to face them. "You know, we kiss, we schmooze, we all go home happy whaddya say?"

"What's in it for you?!" Donald yelled at him and Hades waved his hands to protect himself against the duck's rage.

"Whoa, calm down feather guy. All I want, is for you to send that witch to my Underworld…PERMANENTLY!!!" Hades cried and he burst into red flame as his anger manifested itself. The party stepped back a bit. Sora then put a finger to his chin and thought about the offer that Hades was giving them.

"So…you give us the names of Maleficent's Hellfire Club, we take them out and we take down Maleficent. That's all there is to it, huh?" Sora said, weighing the options carefully in his head. Hades cracked a smile as his red flames receded.

"He gives us no word we can trust." Auron said, not convinced at all that Hades would help them. He rose his katana onto his hunched shoulders and prepared to strike at Hades but Hades held up a hand to make him stop.

"Yeah, yeah, I got that crack, styx and stones all right." Hades then poofed and reappeared by Sora's shoulder and everyone backed away from him. Hades placed a hand on Sora's shoulder and stared at the Keyblade master, giving him a smile. "Look here, there's really nothing to it. Let's just shake on it and get on with the deal." Sora grinned a near malicious smile and leapt away from the Lord of the Underworld, still holding his Keyblade out.

"Uh-uh, no hand shake! I'm not letting you pull a fast one on me." Sora said. Then he rushed forward and held his Keyblade at Hades' throat, even though he knew it wouldn't kill him. "New offer: you tell us the names and worlds of the Hellfire Club and we won't knock you down into the Underworld. Cause I guarantee that it will be much more fun to watch Maleficent suffer up here than it will down there." Hades gulped, remembering fully well the last time he had crossed with Sora. He smiled.

"Looks like we have ourselves a winner!!" Hades cried out and the whole entire Underworld screamed with his voice. Sora thought briefly, that he could hear the wails of the tortured souls below but passed it off. Hades walked over to his throat and sat down. With a wisp of flame he soon made a drink appear in his hand. "Drink? Food anyone?" All of them glared at him.

"Give us the names already." Kairi demanded, her temper staring to show through.

"All right, chicky-poo, calm down." Hades said, waving a hand. Kairi was prepared to hit him right there but all three of Sora, Donald, and Goofy were needed to restrain her. After about thirty seconds of futile struggling she at last relaxed and Hades continued at a hand motion of Sora. "Okay, well, there was Madam Mim of Medieval England-"

"Been there, done that." Kairi answered with a smirk and a glare at Hades. "Mim's been gone a few days now, Merlin and the king saw to that personally." Hades brushed the news off like it was an annoying fly but Sora, Donald, and Goofy beamed at Kairi; happy that though her group hadn't secured a princess they had taken care of that. Regardless, Hades continued on.

"The Huntsman of Fabled Countryside…that's your little Snow White's world." Hades said and now all of the companions looked at each other in a confused manner. "He's going around and trying to put Heartless on every world that isn't exactly native to that world. pretty much a lot like Pete, who is also part of the gang."

"Yeah, well, I'm not that worried about him." Sora said with some inch of smug pride that their group was at least smarter than Pete.

"Now, here's the big one. Morgana, Ursula's sister, from Atlantica has also joined dup with Maleficent. Somebody named Royal Pain from the world of Maxville and nobody knows who they really are since they wear full body armor." Hades paused for a moment as he took a sip of his drink before smiling devilishly at the group. "Oh, and did I mention the Horned King of Prydain."

"The Horned King?" Donald asked, wondering who in the worlds that could possibly be. Hades chuckled.

"Oh, he just happens to be Maleficent's highest lieutenant and the exact reason that I left. I'd go for him last. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a diversion to attend to in the Underdrome." With that, Hades left quickly. Sora looked at his friends.

"Well, that explains a lot now…" Sora said and Goofy quickly started thinking to himself.

"Hmmm…so then, where do we go from here?" Goofy asked and Sora suddenly came up with his brilliant (by his standards) plan.

"Well, you guys, His Majesty is on Enchanted Dominion by now so I say that we take a small diversion before meeting up with him at the Castle of Dreams. We're gonna go to Atlantica, find this Morgana, and beat the crap out of her!!" Sora cried and Kairi laughed at his bravado. Donald shook his head.

"Oh brother…" Donald sighed out. Auron and Zack looked at each other before looking back to the group.

"Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi," Auron began, looking at each of them in turn and they all looked at him. "If it would please you, it's been a year since I last left the coliseum and due to my nature I believe it would be advantageous if I were to go with you."

"To Atlantica?" Sora asked, confused. Auron nodded with a scoff following slightly behind it. "Sure thing Auron. you've helped us a lot before so why not now."

"Besides, if these members of Maleficent's club are as tough as Hades says they are then you could always use an extra sword arm." Auron said and Sora grinned at him. Auron turned to Zack. "Make sure nothing happens to the Coliseum while I'm away." Zack gave a thumbs up and walked off, Sora watching him go.

"All right then, you guys! Let's head for Atlantica!" Sora said, and he beamed all five companions onto the Gummi Ship.

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Author's Note: Yes, this chapter is completed at last!!!

Lord Moldybutt, you were right, it was Zack. But what did you mean when you said "as well as other information I've gleaned about you" when you made the guess? (Other than my avatar, I mean)

In any case, yes they are going to Atlantica, which the decision made me shudder based on KH II torture from Atlantica but this will be more action though I will fiddle with the timeline of

_**The Little Mermaid II**_** (Melody is 7 rather than 12). Well, I hope you enjoyed this and I hope I characterized Zack and Hades right. Yes, Zack is from FFVII world and I have the data to back up Cloud and Tifa from that world as Sora says in KH II "They must have gone back to their own world" and yes, I took Zack's death word for word from Crisis Core (one of the best PSP games ever). Also, did you catch my theme in there again. if you didn't it's okay. Just let me know and I'll tell you. Next up is…hee hee hee, Chapter 20: Maleficent's Return, I'll let you ponder that. In the meantime, do review, and Dare to Be Silly.**


	21. Chapter 20: Maleficent's Return

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts but I do own...what do I own?**

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Chapter 20

Maleficent's Return

"_You mean they had more important affairs to attend to than my return?!"_

-Maleficent

Samson was a lowly soldier in King Phillip's army. He was restrained and contained to monitoring the walls of the castle in Enchanted Dominion, looking for any unlikely signs of invasion coming from anywhere else in the world. It was boring and pointless grunt work. He had longed for the luster of glory in battle and despite being only eighteen years of age he knew he was never going to have it. Granted, his name was a glorious title…but still, it was the name of the king's horse, what honor was there in that?

So it was, on this fine day in Enchanted Dominion that Samson found himself strolling along the ramparts, taking in the blue sky and cloudless day. It truly made him a bit lighter inside, even if it was the dullest work on the planet. He decided to sit down for a break, knowing no army would invade under King Phillip's watch or rule. He bent down and picked up a crusty piece of bread and bit into it, staring at the sky in all its splendor and glory.

But it wasn't to last long. Within a moment after Samson had begun to chew on his bread, dark clouds rolled in, obliterating the sun and the guards were all drenched in a cold rain. The clouds had moved in suddenly and looked ominous. Though they seemed to be accumulated with lightning, not once did a bolt strike down in an attempt to singe any of them. Samson looked around worriedly; there was no guard within a hundred yards of where he was standing, making him all alone. He looked at the clouds and saw a faint green tinge to them and he began to quake with fear.

Very hurriedly he believed that mages and sorcerers from an invading army might be behind all of this. He ran to the edge of the ramparts and looked over the walls. But to his surprise he found that no one was there, no one was trying to get in the castle. He scanned farther out to the horizon and saw no shapes anywhere until at last he saw a flicker of something in the distance. He squinted to see what was going on. At the top of a gnarled tower that was ridden with roots and seemed about to fall into desolation, there was a beacon lit. A green flame was lit, almost like signal fire and as Samson watched the flame grew brighter, illuminating the sky in an eerie and luminescent green.

Samson took a step back and looked down into the castle courtyard. he saw the men scrambling below as though preparing for battle, or merely just being scared out of their wits. He turned around again to face the ramparts and froze. Standing in front of him was most assuredly a witch, dressed in robes of the blackest and deepest night, with a black crow perched on her shoulder like a carrion bird of his own doom. Samson's breathing became shallow and wheezy. The witch was holding a long, thin staff with a green orb on top that was alit with a green flame. She had a sneer on her face and her eyes evoked a sense of pity for the poor soldier.

"One of King Phillip's men I presume?" the witch asked, but Samson was too frozen to reply. Regardless, the witch seemed to know exactly what he was. "There, there, have no fear." She touched his face and he almost as if poison was seeping into his limbs.

"Wh-who are you?" Samson finally had the courage to say and the witch's smile brightened.

"I have a message for your king." the witch said sweetly, though a truly sinister nature belied it. "Tell him, Maleficent has returned." She whipped her staff and a green flame began to consume Samson's body. He howled in pain and fell off the ramparts, plummeting to the courtyard below. Maleficent then let out a delighted cackle as she disappeared in green flames. The sky cleared with her, but the green tint from the light at the top of her keep still remained.

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King Mickey Mouse had woken up early in his quarters that morning, if not from lack of sleep then from a feeling or a sense that something was coming. He couldn't see what it was but Keyblade wielders weren't prophets by any means. He could only hope that, whatever it was, he could handle it fully. The sun was finally shining fully upon the castle and Mickey looked out the window of his room to look upon Enchanted Dominion. How long had it been since he was here? It seemed so long ago…and now he was back with an almost similar objective. Mickey sighed and turned away towards the door and the wafting smells of breakfast in the great hall.

But he stopped with his hand reaching towards the door. He had sensed a change in the wind, just one of the benefits (or was it a curse?) of being one of the strongest Keyblade wielders in the galaxy. Mickey whipped around and ran to the window and looked out the window. Dark green clouds were rolling in to the area, obliterating the sun from view and blocking out the light in the world. And Mickey knew, even without the high-pitched, nails on chalkboard, cackling: Maleficent was here. Without waiting another moment, Mickey flipped up and kicked open the door. He dashed straight into the hallway and collided with Demora who seemed to be running to his room in the first place.

"Did you hear that-" Demora began to say but Mickey knew the utter emergency of the situation that had just presented itself to them and cut her off.

"I felt it! We gotta get going!" Mickey yelled and without another word they rushed down the stairs they were brought up just the day before. They ran as fast as their legs could carry them and Demora was truly surprised at the agility the diminutive king possessed. Soon enough however they at last made their way into the great hall. Phillip was sitting in his high-backed chair with Aurora listening as well to the conversation, lines of worry etched into her face.

"I saw her sir. Unnatural, she was. She had them horns on her head and a big staff with a glowing green ball. And she was wreathed in flame. She sent one of our men off the ramparts after lighting him on fire. Then she just disappeared." the soldier giving the report said rather quickly to Phillip and finished it just as Mickey and Demora arrived. Phillip leaned his head on his arm and thought about the complications of the new situation.

"So Maleficent has returned…" Phillip said thoughtfully and the soldier's armor suddenly clanked as he tensed up. Demora shot a look at the man and saw that he was beginning to sweat and all signs of nervousness had taken over his body.

"M-Maleficent?" the soldier gasped out. He had been one of the men in the army that was alive when Maleficent had last been in Enchanted Dominion. "But…but the witch is dead?!"

"Not so dead as we might think." Phillip muttered to himself, and even he couldn't iron out the worry on his own face. Aurora leaned over and put her hands on Phillips casting him a reassuring smile. Phillip returned the smile to her and he stood up, preparing to give orders to his men. "Frederick!"

"My Liege!" Frederick cried, snapping to a quick salute. Phillip stepped away from his chair and stood before the soldier.

"Brace the ramparts and the gates, no one comes in or out without my command. Make every man armed. I want as many people as possible to try and take that witch down if she tries to make a strike at my kingdom again!" Phillip cried and Frederick nodded, acknowledging the orders, and he ran off. But Mickey picked up the conversation there.

"With all due respect, Phillip, I don't think it will work against Maleficent." Mickey said and Phillip frowned slightly, striding over to the window. "She's not going to attack you. She knows that fear is a much better way to do things. We need to take the battle to her."

"And how do you suggest we do that, Your Majesty?!" Phillip cried in anguish and Demora could even tell that he was getting frustrated. He whipped around to face the mouse king, pain etched on his own face. "Send an army of my ill-equipped and inexperienced soldiers to face one of the greatest sorceresses the worlds have ever known. I will not let my men die even for such a victory."

"You don't need an army of men!" Demora yelled, all sense of decorum forgotten in the situation. Phillip snapped a look to her and she smirked. "About two would do."

"Two?! It took three fairies to barely defeat Maleficent on our own world, and she still survived that." Phillip said with a cry of anguish. Even Mickey was looking confusedly at Demora with a smirk.

"And it took a brave fourteen year old with an oversized house key and some friends of his to truly defeat her some ten years later." Demora said fiercely. "I mean no disrespect Your Highness, but I think you can show a bit more bravery. I know all about this stuff, and I know of two people here that are more than prepared to take Maleficent down a peg and make her suffer." Phillip suddenly saw the sixteen year old girl in a completely new light and Mickey finally realized what she was saying.

"Maleficent is an enemy of all the worlds and we will take her down." Mickey said with pride and Phillip at last thawed and gave them his own warm smile.

"Then allow me to join you. It would be my honor and duty to do so." Phillip said, bowing to the only liege-lord above him. Mickey nodded. "Then we shall head to the stable and gather horses."

"I won't need one." Mickey stated boldly and Demora scoffed at the statement. Mickey chuckled but backed up his claim. "I've trained enough to be able to run as fast as most horses." Phillip laughed boisterously. He quickly hugged and kissed his wife before both Demora and Mickey followed him to the stables. Phillip quickly put Samson's saddle on and got on. Demora did the same with her horse. Phillip then ordered the gate open and with a laugh, all three set off.

Maleficent's keep was in a barren land to the south of the castle. All these years it had been desolate and abandoned but now was bathed in an eerie green light. Mickey had no idea as to why Maleficent would choose to return to Enchanted Dominion at this time, though he felt that it most assuredly that it had to do with his and Demora's arrival here. Clearly Maleficent was feeling haughty enough to leave her much more fortified fortress of the Castle That Never Was. Mickey easily kept pace with the horses but worried as to what they might find when they at last reached the keep. Even as they entered into the southern border they felt a new chill come over them as they passed into it.

Phillip explained to all of them the story of the land. That it had ever flourished before Maleficent gained such phenomenal power. Slowly the land had begun to whither. Eighteen years ago, when Maleficent's dire spell had nearly taken Aurora's life it had been bathed in thorns. That was the day that Maleficent was believed to have been defeated and fled away as fast as she could. Even still, nobody dared entered those lands for fear of the witch's evil coming back to haunt them. Thus it was that many believed the desolate ruins to be haunted. _Well_, thought Demora, _it certainly looks haunted now with that green light. Geez, if Maleficent wasn't so evil she could pass awesomely at a Haunted House._ Demora snorted at this and Mickey gave her a confused look which Demora merely waved off.

At last, after roughly two hours, the three companions had arrived outside the keep. Granted their horses would not go within ten meters of the thing so they had to dismount there and proceed the rest of the relatively short distance on foot. At last they were standing directly in front of the door. The keep seemed silent which gave it an even creepier feel. Demora tried the door, but as expected, it was locked. Mickey summoned Darkside in a flash and used it to unlock the door which swung open with a creak. Both Phillip and Demora unsheathed their weapons and stepped into the keep. The wind howled through the abandoned halls and the green flames on the wall did nothing to stop their slight fear.

Weapons bared and hearts prepared the troupe made their way up the spiraling staircase through Maleficent's keep. Mickey could sense the darkness pervading the room and in fact, the whole entire tower. They had no idea when Maleficent would pop out, if at all, and they merely wanted to be prepared. After a few minutes of what seemed like aimless walking through the deserted halls they at last reached what seemed to be the top where the green flame-lit beacon was shining with intensity. Mickey paused upon entrance…he knew what was coming next.

Without warning a large flame shot at the trio. Mickey quickly waved his Keyblade and a reflect spell formed all around them. The flames battered at the shield, trying to get to the trio. After a minute the flames receded and Maleficent stepped forward.

"I was expecting that, and you didn't disappoint 'Your Majesty'." Maleficent said, and evil snicker playing behind her voice. Mickey bared his Keyblade forward and Maleficent's lips curved upward into a smirk. "Oh my, have we come to do battle?"

"Maleficent, you've been a coward all this time!" Mickey yelled with rage at the darkness that this witch was exuding. Once more, Maleficent laughed.

"Oh, I have? And what of you who could not even muster up the courage to face me in my own lair?" Maleficent said, her glare showing a small hint of jest within her dark eyes. Mickey glared straight at her. "And how about now?"

"Now we finish it you hag!" Demora yelled and she ran at Maleficent. Mickey tried to stop her, but Maleficent was quicker and with swoosh of her staff, Demora was knocked to the ground. Demora grunted as she fell on the stone tiles and quickly dragged herself up. Mickey leapt through the air to bring her Keyblade down but Maleficent vanished in green flames. Phillip looked around for where the witch had gone and soon noticed that a green flame had alighted a few miles from the keep. Without further ado, the trio raced down the steps and across the drawbridge to their waiting horses. Immediately, the set off for the green flames. At last, they came within sight of Maleficent.

"Oh, such ferocity!" Maleficent jibed playfully and she rose her arms and her staff into the air, her cloak wreathed in her own green flame. "Now you deal with me Your Majesties, and all the powers of Hell!!!" Maleficent cried and with a great cackle the earth was torn asunder, thorns rising up from the ground. Mickey flipped to the side to dodge them but his companions were not nearly as lucky.

Both Phillip and Demora where tossed from their horses as the thorns caught the horses' legs and dragged them down, quickly consuming them. Phillip nearly cried out at the loss of his beloved horse Samson. Demora quickly got on her feet and noticed Phillip's pain. She rushed over and put a hand on his shoulder, rousing him back from that darkness. He smiled a golden smile at her and she nodded. Then both bared their weapons and looked at Mickey who was already flipping around, trying to find a spot to dent Maleficent. Maleficent however, looked quite serene and was cackling as she brought up shields of green flame. Mickey at last was able to jut in just as they ran up and knocked the staff out of Maleficent's hand.

"Oh…good move. But now it's my turn!" Maleficent cried and she raised her hand into the air. The staff flew back into it and Demora thought for a moment that her staff had turned into a sword that was wreathed in green, and now blue, flame. "Meteors of heaven! Feel my fury!" Suddenly there was a large gust of wind as a black portal opened and blue meteors began raining out of it. Mickey leapt near the companions and immediately summoned a powerful reflect spell that managed to survive the barrage of meteors. Maleficent scoffed as the trio emerged unharmed. Mickey held his Keyblade out at arm's length.

"Light!" Mickey yelled and an orb of light flew at the witch who batted it away with her staff. But the distraction gave the team enough time to run forward and renew their assault upon her. Demora swiped at the witch with her katana, but she only brought it down on the staff. Maleficent sneered at her and broke the connection between their weapons. Then, using the orb of her staff she hit Demora straight in her gut. Demora flew backwards and hit the thorns, one of them impaling her just above her shoulder blade. She squealed in pain and suddenly her vision became rather blurry.

Phillip ran in rage at Maleficent who waved her hand and out came a whip of green flame which wound its way tightly around his figure. The struggling, and now smothering, Phillip was forced onto the ground and soon the thorns began creeping their way onto him. He tried to break free but there was nothing for it. Maleficent cackled over the possibly victory over her foes as Mickey landed. He needed to free his companions but if he set the thorn bush ablaze he would kill both of them. That was why he was a master of arcane magic.

"I would give up now Your Majesty." Maleficent said with a cackle. "Your friends are dying and you shall most surely be next."

"I don't think so Maleficent." Mickey said and he raised his Keyblade into the air. "Shatter!" Mickey screamed and suddenly the thorns were being pressed down to the ground and flew apart. In shock, Maleficent's green whip around Phillip faded and he got up, breathing heavily, scorched in a few places, but otherwise no worse for the wear. Demora meanwhile had fallen down and was struggling to get up. Mickey ran over to her and helped her quickly. She felt the back of her shoulder and when she looked at her hand she saw the red blood covering it. She leaned on her katana as it stuck into the ground.

"Oh, such power…and yet still so pitiful. Your weakness astounds me." Maleficent said as the hand that did not hold her staff rose into the air. "Well, farewell to a good rivalry." A green flame began to form in her hand, growing larger, and brighter by the second. "I require your resistance no more! Farewell, Your Majesty!"

But before she could launch the flame, a voice, a new voice called out. A voice she did not expect as light burst forth in the area, and it made her stop cold.

"I don't think so, you witch!"

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Author's Note: Oh yeah! That has to be the best cliffhanger I've ever written. Bet you can guess who they are. I know it was short, but hopefully good…and length alone does not a good story make. I hope you enjoyed the battle and the intense description and other stuff within this. Oh yes, and I am noting here and telling you only one of the worlds (and the only one I will tell you) that will be in _**Fear of the Darkness**_**. I have already decided Kim Possible will be in there to set a slightly lighter portion in the much darker story (so thank you for your opinions). Though, if you have not realized already, this story is the centerpiece and flagship of the series. In any case, be kind, rewind, review and Dare to Be Silly. (Yes, I know, that didn't rhyme at all.)**

**Lord Moldybutt: By no means was I trying to make you sound like that at all in my review reply. I was merely joking around. I do the same thing as you do, so no hard feelings?**


	22. Chapter 21: Return from the Darkness

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kingdom Hearts but I do however own the world of Agradar and Gentai and Demora so...yes...**

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Chapter 21

Return from the Darkness

"_You've been hanging out in darkness too long, Riku."_

-Sora

Everybody on the playing field gasped…it was impossible. For a moment, everyone had thought that their eyes had been subjected to delusions from the bright light that was pouring forth intensely. Silhouetted against the backdrop of a bright and luminescent keyhole were two figures. Each of them appeared to be holding a Keyblade before them which shown slightly brilliantly in the light. One of the figures was stockier and more muscular. He seemed taller too, but that was probably just based on the factor of age rather than anything else. He had longer hair that flowed in the slight breeze that graced all of their presences.

The other figure was on the slightly opposite end. He was shorter and certainly not as muscular but from what all the figures could deduce they were definitely more filled out in muscle strength than they had been the last time anyone who knew them had really seen. The taller figure stepped forward first, the other following in his wake. He walked with the presence of authority even in the presence of his liege.

"Your time is at an end." the figure said. Finally, the light of the keyhole faded and everyone could see who the people were clearly. Riku smirked, he was at last reunited with some people. Maleficent snickered.

"Well, if it isn't my old apprentice." Maleficent said with a sneer and Riku raised his Keyblade above his shoulder, baring it before the heartless witch.

"I'm no apprentice of yours. I forsook that darkness long ago." Riku said with a bolt of confidence. "So, give it up now and we won't hand your head to you on a platter." Gentai had at last come to stand by him, his clothes flickering slightly in the wind. He too held his Keyblade to bear and was more than prepared to take down this witch that had made his life hell.

"Very well…change of plans then!" And so, Maleficent, without warning fired her great green fireball at the new arrivals rather than at her original intended targets. Riku reacted without thinking. He fired a shot of darkness into the air, straight at the incoming fireball. The two at last connected in midair and upon impact exploded, obliterating a wide swathe of thorns. Maleficent's face deepened into a scowl when she saw that the two had emerged unharmed.

"So sorry, Maleficent," Gentai said with gusto and almost a touch of dark humor playing into his voice. Demora smiled as he spoke, almost feeling her wounds drying up and healing in his mere presence. "I'm afraid your option has been denied."

"Unlikely." Maleficent said with a scoff. "I shall teach you the true meaning of fear!" With her last word five great pillars of green fire shot out in all different directions. Gentai himself leaped into the air and twirled around, cutting through the embers while Riku simply brought up a shield to defend himself. Maleficent's scowl deepened as both of them laughed dryly.

"Oh, I'm quaking." Gentai said in mock fear before a smirk crossed his face. "How about _we_ give _you_ something to fear?!" With that, Gentai swiped his Keyblade through the air in a horizontal slash. A thick band of light flew at Maleficent, its convex side aiming straight for the mistress of all evil. Quickly however, the band of light twisted and became nearly like a coil. Maleficent anticipated such a move and fired out a vertical pillar of green flame. The two connected and then both of them dissipated on the spot. But the ruse had already been successful as Gentai had leapt into the air and was about to come down hard onto Maleficent. Meanwhile, Riku had fired a shockwave of energy at the unsuspecting witch. Maleficent scoffed and green flames began to surround her. At last, when Gentai reached her form, both his Keyblade and Riku's attack sliced through nothing.

"You may have defeated me today, but next time you will not be so lucky." Maleficent's voice rang out from the clearing, though her body was gone. As one, all the eyes turned towards her keep where the beacon of green light suddenly winked out and as one, the thorns disappeared and the sun appeared in the sky. Gentai turned to Riku and nodded at him. They had been lucky to have come this far. But before either could say anything, Gentai found himself being smothered by yet another warm presence. Demora had suddenly run up to him and hugged him, putting all of her emotion.

He reached behind her and hugged her back, stroking her hair. Then Demora threw caution to the winds. She drew back from Gentai a little bit and then leaned in and kissed him on the lips. At first, Gentai was unsure of what to do but then he began to return the kiss passionately. That only lasted for a small time until Riku cleared his throat and at last the two broke apart. Then Demora hit him on the head.

"And where have you been?!" Demora squealed out and Gentai tried to stammer out an excuse. He was lucky that Riku placed a hand on Demora's shoulder.

"Maybe we'd best save the explanation for another time." Riku said and Mickey nodded and stated his agreement as he came over. Phillip was a little disoriented at the whole thing, even more so, given the fact he had lost his horse and faithful companion.

"Your Majesty…" Phillip began tentatively and Mickey turned to him with a smile. "We'll need to get back to the castle, now that Maleficent's gone." Mickey thought on this a moment.

"You sure we have to come?" Mickey asked. "Can we send a signal for them to come and get you once you're out of these lands? We all have lots to discuss." Phillip sighed but agreed that it was for the best. Mickey raised his Keyblade into the air and fired off a shot that served as a signal. "Now then, I think it's time you joined us." Riku and Gentai looked at each other before nodding. They knew that they now had no other choice. So, as Phillip set off for his lands, Mickey once more put his Keyblade into the air and had them beamed aboard the Gummi Ship.

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"Riku, Gentai, why don't you explain exactly what you've been doin' for the past year." Mickey said in a stern voice once all four of the companions were safely seated aboard the Gummi Ship. Already, Mickey had explained that they were going to the Castle of Dreams to meet up with Sora and the others and so the traveling dup decided to join them at last. But now was the time for business and His Majesty needed answers. Gentai and Riku looked at each other and Gentai placed his drink onto the table.

"Your Majesty, if we may, I think we need to start before then." Gentai said with a serious demeanor. Demora raised an eyebrow at him.

"How far before then?" Demora asked, wondering how long this question session was going to take. Her boyfriend had just been found again and she wanted to spend time with him.

"Let's try before the war…" Riku said in what would have been a jesting tone were it not for the look on his face. "Mickey, you're fully aware of what was going on with us during the time leading up to it. We were traveling around looking for the man in a black coat when one day Sora was captured. As to how and when we met up with Gentai…I believe that's his story to tell."

Gentai nodded at the mention of this and braced himself to tell an extremely long story, one he had only ever told Riku before during their travels. He looked into the eyes of the king and of his girlfriend. Then he looked at the friend for which he had been traveling with for a year and he began.

"A little over a year ago, I lived peacefully on my home world of Agradar…or so I learned it was called. Fairly technologically advanced but still lacking some things. Anyway, I had two loving parents who I haven't seen for a year and a best friend named Tom. One day, as we went to school a man we used to joke around about called Old Man Hikaru told us a story. Tom blew him off and made fun of him. I decided to apologize to the poor guy. I tried to find his house in the woods but instead I was attacked…by Heartless. At that point I began to wield the Keyblade. Hikaru rescued me and thus began to teach me though he did not wield a Keyblade himself.

"Following this we left for Twilight Town and I met with Master Yen Sid. It was there that I received my old clothes and began to learn magic. Little did I know of the truth about me that both Master Yen Sid and Hikaru refused to tell me. In any case, Twilight Town, that was where I experienced my first real battle. I was successful and I sealed the Keyhole to Twilight Town but to do so I received visions of all Keyblade Masters that resided there…mainly Sora's. Hikaru then helped me to channel those memories into my own fighting force. And so we left for Kuzcotopia.

"There we ran into Yzma, a member of Maleficent's old Hellfire Club. Turned out that Maleficent was trying to use me. She wanted me on her side to help her…yeah, like that would ever happen. We defeated Yzma and sealed the Keyhole, but as Hikaru and I left we ran into the black robed guy and he sent us to two different worlds. I landed in Agrabah and met up with Aladdin. There I learned of more problems: Maleficent was using some members to re-open the Keyholes and Agrabah was one of them. I defeated Salouk, on my own I might add, and sealed the Keyhole. Then Hikaru found me and we were off to the Land of Dragons.

"But…Maleficent didn't have a member there." Mickey said in confusion and Gentai nodded, making him even more confused.

"No, but Hikaru had run into trouble there and I still needed to seal the Keyholes. There we learned that the black-robed guy and Maleficent were duking it out…over me no less. Anyway, we sealed Olympus Coliseum, met with Queen Minnie and sealed Destiny islands thanks to _some_ Keyblade Masters being oblivious." Riku shot Gentai a glare and he waved it off, opting to continue on. "Anywho, we finally made it to Radiant Garden where we were attacked and barely made a landing. I was put in jail, escaped, met Pete, who tried to bring me in and then eventually teamed up with Leon to seal the Keyhole. He was the only one I met. But I'll sure tell you, Sora's feelings are real strong of that place. In any case, we soon found out that Zexion was the black robed man. Hikaru's hypothesis was that when the Riku Replica had been destroyed all the energy it had gained from Zexion reformed him. It didn't matter…we traveled on, I was captured by Captain Hook and brought before Maleficent and denied her offer before I joined up with Hikaru again and after that we sealed more Keyholes. I don't think Maleficent was too happy with me. One day…I ran into Riku and Kairi."

"We fought pretty bad then didn't we?" Riku asked with a slight snigger.

"Only slightly, till we learned of Kairi's lineage and Hikaru's, you know that story. That was also when Hikaru told me that I was the only male for like a thousand years who had no darkness in my heart. Talk about pressure. In any case, we went to Port Royal and I won't talk about the details there…soon after however we landed at the Vanishing Planet. I freed Sora and then was forced to fight, and kill, my best friend Tom. Then Hikaru died after we learned he was a Keyblade Master…and then Sora died…and then…then…you know what happened after that." The room was stunned save for Riku who had heard the story once before and had to live with the example and proof of it for almost a year now. Mickey leaned forward, elbows on the table.

"Then what about the past year?" Mickey asked darkly, getting to the part that he really wanted to know. Riku was the one to answer this time.

"Well, we started off with what Gentai was doing earlier: sealing the Keyholes. We did it pretty quick too. We were all about business. We'd step in meet nobody, find it, and seal it before being off on our way." Riku said with a shrug before his nonchalant look turned into a deep scowl. "That is…until six months ago."

"What happened six months ago?" Demora asked sincerely. Gentai glanced at her and pursed his lips.

"For the previous six months we had only been sealing Keyholes and when that was done we trained at Olympus Coliseum a lot…Phil showed Riku the ropes of being a junior hero." Riku scoffed at this, not forgetting he was still a step under Sora. "Then we heard Maleficent was calling a new Hellfire Club. We decided to infiltrate the base. It wasn't the worse thing in the world…the only scary one was the Horned King…"

"Until we learned about the Huntsman of Fabled Countryside." Riku said with a glint in his eye, finishing his companion's sentence. "At first, we weren't sure if he would be like Pete or what. He soon proved to be much more formidable than Pete."

"For one…he could tie boot-laces." Riku snorted. Their duo was a little short on laughter these days. "For another, with the power of darkness and introducing Heartless that aren't indigenous to almost every world he's been a real pain in the ass."

"Remember the day we turned up battered and bruised and nearly beaten to death?" Riku asked of his good friend from Disney Castle. Mickey nodded tentatively. "He did that to us. We got into our first real battle with him without him fleeing and he did power damage to us. Those crossbow bolts are wicked." Riku and Gentai both rubbed their arms and shuddered, remembering what had happened to them. Gentai looked seriously at the king.

"We couldn't tell you who did it or why but merely go back on our way…if we hadn't, the worlds would have fallen prey to him. He's a tough guy." Gentai said before stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Though I won't say as much anymore."

"Why do you say that?" Mickey asked the duo.

"We stopped him cold on The New World. He failed in his plan and I doubt Maleficent was that happy…why do you think she came here?" Riku said with a smirk on his face. "We followed the Huntsman to the Castle That Never Was. We couldn't find a way in but we did glean she was coming here. Maleficent is a bit more of a threat so we followed her and we were glad we did." Both Riku and Gentai leaned back in their chairs, slightly satisfied at their stories.

"And now we're here." Gentai said with a smile before glancing around. "Where are Sora and Kairi?"

"They're off elsewhere." Mickey answered quickly so Demora wouldn't mention the capture. Then Mickey asked his own burning question. "So you know who all the members of the Hellfire Club are, other than Madam Mim…we took her out a while ago."

"We heard about that." Riku said in an impressed tone. "Let's see, Hades dropped out, but Morgana from Atlantica, Ursula's younger sister, Royal Pain from Maxville and the Horned King of Prydain. That's all that's left other than the Huntsman, Pete and Maleficent." Mickey nodded. Riku glanced around the table. He knew Gentai wanted to catch up with Demora and he _did_ need to talk with Mickey about something so… "Mickey, could I talk to you privately?" Mickey nodded to him and the two withdrew to a smaller room to talk.

"What's up, Riku?" Mickey asked concernedly as he could tell something was on the twenty-three year old's mind.

"I-uh, I've been having these dreams…about Xehanort and his Heartless. The time he almost possessed me." Riku said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I feel like he's getting a tighter grip on my heart and I just…they're more frequent and…I don't know what it all means. I was hoping you could help." Mickey thought and pondered on Riku's words for a moment but then he looked up at his longtime pal and smiled.

"Aww, Riku, I don't think it's anything to worry about. He didn't get the best of you before and he won't now. You're too strong for that." Mickey said and Riku returned it with a chuckle. Though he didn't really believe it in his heart…it still made him feel better. Then Riku caught something.

"By the way, I smell Kairi's scent like she was here recently. What happened to her?" Mickey smiled sheepishly at Riku while Riku readied himself for it.

"Oh, Kairi got captured by Hook but Sora went after her so she's probably safe by now." Mickey said before a slight worried look crossed over her face. "Though I do hope he's okay."

"Hah! If I know Sora, he's probably already in the middle of some trouble already."

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**Author's Note: And there it is at last! I have been building towards this moment for a very long time. I know there was a lot of explanation in the chapter but it was necessary to explain where Gentai's coming from in the events before_Lineage of the Key_ which is not on paper. So, hopefully you understand him a bit more now. Congrats Lord Moldybutt, you did guess right. After all, who else could have shown up? (Other than my mysterious "Flaming Edge" of course.) Yes, Agradar is my own creation and I could have used other mythical and fantastical worlds but I settled on this one. In any case, only four more chaps to go before the end of Part I of this story and I am taking two weeks off of burning up my fingers writing this. Look forward to Atlantica next week though and in the meantime, review and Dare to Be Silly.**

**On a side note, as we squeeze into more SoraXKairi parts you'll notice that I'm not big on having them kiss every moment and there's always somethere to break them up from these times. Just a piece of my mind there.**


	23. Chapter 22: Trouble Underseas

**DISCLAIMER: No time for one.**

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Chapter 22

Trouble Underseas

"_We may need your help after all."_

-King Triton

The switch was flicked and the passengers aboard the Gummi Ship began to compress in bands of light. Auron was the only passenger at the time who was not used to the sensation of it…but being dead means he didn't really feel much in the first place. But the other four felt the usual sensation of what happened as they beamed down onto the world they had just arrived at. But Kairi was very little prepared for what would happen when they got there. For when the beaming process finished she was on a beach.

Kairi took a look around and saw that Auron was standing next to her and a short ways off there was a great castle with a mighty wall around it, dividing it from the sea. But to Kairi, what worried her was not what was straight in front of her but indeed what was no longer in front of her or anywhere near her. Sora was in no place to be seen in the area. All Kairi could hear was the sound of the surf. There were no running footsteps that were approaching her or any sound of Sora's voice calling out to her. Kairi looked to Auron but he was just standing there with a dead calm as the ocean breeze whipped his robes around.

"Sora?!" Kairi cried out loud but there was no answer. Auron cocked his head to the side and slid his sunglasses down to look at her. "SORA?!!" Still there was no answer. Kairi turned her back to the sea and looked out at the craggy rocks by the beach, half-expecting Sora to come bounding up with his cheerful grin like he always did. But still there was nothing. Kairi turned her head towards Auron. "Could something have happened to them?"

No sooner had she said that than she felt a cold, almost clammy touch on both of her ankles. She feared it was an icky sea creature that could not be found on Destiny Islands and tried to kick through. But the resistance was futile and soon she realized she was only struggling against herself. Soon after that, she was pulled down into the water for a moment. She screamed momentarily at the shock of being doused in the salt water and floated there for a moment. It was a good thing she had spent most of her life on the islands so she knew how to swim but she didn't want to face any sea creatures here without Sora.

As she floated she saw a turtle shell pop up with strange markings on its back. She almost would have discerned them to be the markings of the king were a few squid tentacles to pop up next to her. She squealed in fright, having always feared anything with tentacles on the island knowing they were capable of being much more than just a freaky appendage. She swam backwards until at last she his something solid behind her. Her breath caught in her throat and she didn't want to see what she had hit for fear it would automatically decide to gobble her. She wanted to call for Auron to help and almost wondered why he wasn't helping until what she had bumped into said something.

"Boo." the creature said and Kairi instantly recognized the voice. She whipped around and came face to face with Sora. But he had immediately seemed different than he had looked before. She noticed the first factoid of his appearance right away: he wasn't wearing a shirt. Slightly miffed, she whacked him playfully on the shoulder and he chuckled, swimming away from her, floating lazily on his back. That's when it finally clicked.

"Uh…Sora, how are you swimming without moving your arms?" Kairi asked skeptically and Sora smiled at her before he dipped below the surface of the water. He didn't return for about a minute or two and Kairi began to worry for him…save for the fact that she knew he was one of the experts at playing Blitzball back when he was on the high school team. Then a shape flew out of the water and Kairi knew it was Sora thanks to his spiky locks. It was the second half of him that shocked her. There were no longer two feet but rather a single fin that reminded her of a dolphin and was blue in color. Sora landed in the water with a splash and then popped up straight next to Kairi.

"Hey Kairi, let's get you back to the shore." Sora said with a grin and picked her up, bridal style, or at least as bridle style as a semi-merman could do. Then he swam with her back to shore and placed her on the beach while she started to wring out the water from her hair.

"How does that happen?" Kairi asked confusedly as Auron sat himself on a rock, chuckling to himself.

"Well, my magical clothes did it for me but Donald and Goofy," as he said those words Donald turned his squid self right side up and Goofy popped out of his turtle shell. "They use magic to transform themselves."

"So then, why are you three transformed but Auron and I are not?" Kairi said, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at her fiancée. Sora chortled a bit and returned to lazily floating on his back.

"Two reasons there Kairi. For the first one, you would need magic to transform and Donald and I decided that if you did transform you'd have to know how to fight underwater."

"I'm still not seeing the problem here, Sora." Kairi said with reluctance and a near-defiance in her eyes. Sora sighed and stopped swimming around to look at her.

"Fighting underwater is very different from fighting on your own two feet. You need to figure out how to swim up and down and wield a weapon at the same time…it's not exactly easy. Donald, Goofy and I couldn't be found for a few minutes so we could remind ourselves how to swim underwater."

"Fine, I get your point…though I don't really like it…" Kairi said with a small huff and Sora merely smiled apologetically at her. "What's your second reason?"

"We have friends both above and below the surface her. We were planning on talking to King Triton. We would be really obliged if you and Auron could visit the castle. Ask to see Eric and Ariel…say that you're friends of Sora, Donald, and Goofy and they should let you in with no problem." Kairi looked at her fiancée for a moment with something of fear before she gave a snappy reply to him.

"I don't think that it's a good idea." Kairi said and Sora looked inquisitively at her, wondering why she was calling the shots all of a sudden. "Remember what happened the last time we split up?"

"Different, Kairi. That was in space, this time you'll be with extremely skilled friends. And we'll be fine on our way to Atlantica." Sora said with a shrug of his shoulders and he almost expected Donald to blurt in with something and was surprised when he didn't. Kairi heaved a sigh and looked into Sora's eyes.

"All right, fine. But be careful." she commanded to him and he gave her a thumbs up.

"Don't worry. We'll head to King Triton, dig some dirt on this Morgana and be back by sundown." And so, without another word, Sora, Donald and Goofy dove into the water heading to the underwater city of Atlantica.

"Well, Auron, shall we?" Kairi said and Auron came away from his position of leaning on the rock. Thus, the two began to stride toward the front gates of the castle. Kairi had to wonder for a moment as to why such a large gate was erected around the castle but bit by bit she found her thoughts turning away from the wall and onto Sora. She _had_ thought he looked hot with no shirt on…and while it might have been slightly devilish to think of him like that before they were married she thought it was okay. _After all, after this we _are _getting married_. But she had a mission…sort of…and she wouldn't fail.

After a bit of walking, the two arrived at the large doors of the castle. Kairi looked to see if there was a doorbell but there was no such luck so she gestured to Auron and he knocked on the castle doors with a mighty bang. They waited for a few moments before the castle doors at last opened. A small, withering man with a flock of gray hair on his head was standing there to greet them. He said nothing to them but his eyes asked all the question that he needed to at any point in time. Kairi smiled kindly at him, not wanting to get on the man's bad side, as he already looked disgruntled.

"Hi, my name is Kairi and this is Auron…uh…we came here to see Ariel and Eric." Kairi said hesitantly, worried that she might say something wrong that would completely set this man over the edge. The man cleared his throat.

"I am afraid they are busy at the moment…you see, a situation has arisen." the man told her and Kairi looked slightly crestfallen. But Auron quickly stepped up to the plate.

"We're friends of Sora, Donald and Goofy. Will you let us in now?" Auron said, a threat lingering on his eyes. The man seemed to immediately understand things for he shifted the weight on his foot and opened the door wider, bowing them inside. Kairi liked the design of the castle though she did feel that Radiant Garden had slightly more to offer…not to mention she questioned the judgment of the wall. Now that she thought on it, they had to pass through it on their way in here but the soldiers or guards or whatever had done nothing to them. She finally jerked back to reality enough to notice that the man was leading them through the halls of the castle.

She and Auron quickly followed after him. It only took a few moments before he waved them into a room where two figures that seemed to be adults were standing and staring at an empty desk.

"My lord, a Kairi and Auron to see you, sir. They claim to be friends of Masters Sora, Donald, and Goofy." the old man said and both of the figures turned around.

"Thank you Grimsby." the man, presumably Eric, said to the man and he bowed himself out of the way. Kairi recognized him from the wedding but knew that she hadn't really spoken with him at all. However, Ariel had run up to Kairi and hugged her. Kairi stood there, completely nonplussed as Ariel withdrew away.

"I know that was strange, but we're really quite glad you're here." Ariel said to Kairi and the latter raised an eyebrow at the former. "Am I to assume Sora's here?"

"He's underwater at the present time but if you leave your name I would gladly give him a message." said Kairi with a smile and Ariel smiled back before a frown consumed her face. Kairi noticed this and put a hand on Ariel's shoulder. She had only known the woman for a few seconds really but already felt like she was a big sister. "What's going on?"

"It's Melody…our seven year old daughter…she's missing." Eric said hurriedly and Kairi could tell that the guy was freaked.

"Hmmm…" Kairi intonated but Auron was the first to really speak up.

"Would it have anything to do with this wall?" Auron said with just the slightest bit of humor behind his voice. They both shot a look to him and slowly but surely nodded.

"You see, there's this witch-" Ariel began but Kairi answered for her.

"Morgana." Kairi stated simply and they nodded while giving her a confused look. "Long story. Go on."

"Well, seven years ago when Melody was born, Morgana threatened to get revenge for her sister Ursula and so, wanting to protect Melody, we built a wall to protect her from the sea. When we found out she was sneaking out we became a little terse with her and she ran away." Ariel stated, a slight amount of tears streaming out not because of the situation but because, Kairi knew, they thought it was their fault.

"Look, I'm sure we can help. Sora's going to Atlantica because we need to find Morgana and take her down." Kairi said with conviction and Ariel started smiling again.

"Well that's good. He'll probably meet up with daddy and we just sent Sebastian to tell him. That means that he'll probably come here." Kairi's face lit up. Though she had just separated from Sora she still wanted to see him again. Then Auron faced a necessary and yet obvious truth.

"You do realize that even should we find your daughter," Auron began in as respectful a tone as he could muster. "Morgana will most likely find her before then…and when we finally come to Morgana it will become a fight." Eric gripped Ariel tight and stared Auron straight into the eyes.

"I fought to protect Ariel seven years ago…" Eric said with conviction. "I won't lose my daughter to the witch's sister."

"Then that's good enough for me!" Kairi said. "I have to agree with Auron so I say we get ready to fight. But we will help you find your daughter no matter what. I'm sure that if Sora and I ever have kids you would do the same for us." They nodded and smiled at but in the deepest recess of her thoughts she began to dwell on that. She never had brought up the subject of kids with Sora for when they were married and so resolved to ask him about it the next chance they got. But for now…they had to find Melody.

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"Bah!" Morgana squealed in her lair as she watched the progress of Sora, Donald, and Goofy from her cauldron. "That Keyblade meddling fool is here at last. Well, if he wants to play games then we'll just take him out easily." Morgana quickly popped something from a shell and into her mouth.

"Yeah, but Morgana," began a very tiny shark that was circling around down below. "If Ursula couldn't take care of the brat, what makes you think that you'd be able to?" Morgana flashed with a moment of anger and she flicked the shell at the shark only barely missing him.

"Still worshipping my good-for-nothing sister!" Morgana screamed. "It was always about Ursula this and Ursula that! Well, she failed Maleficent but I won't!"

"Yeah…if you could even cast a decent spell in all these seven years since the little brat was born." the shark said snidely and Morgana snarled at him.

"Oh shut it! The manta rays are leading that girl here right now…and how oblivious is she to the wickedness I'm about to devise." Morgana sat back a little bit and basked in what would be the pinnacle of her glory. "Oh that Keyblade boy will rue the day that he ever came to Atlantica."

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Sora, Donald, and Goofy quickly swam through the currents on the way to Atlantica. Thankfully, for the three of them, their swimming abilities came back quite quickly and quite efficiently. Of course, it still took them a while to get to Atlantica for two very good reasons. On the one hand, heartless were appearing in Atlantica once again and the trio found it a little more than difficult to fight here, especially without Ariel by their side. The second reason was much more humiliating…Sora didn't know the way.

"What do you mean 'we're lost'?!" Donald quacked out and Sora rubbed the back of his head.

"Umm…as in, you know, I can't find my way to the palace?" Sora chuckled out and Donald began to blow a gasket. "I mean, we have to find a way there at some time or another."

"Gawrsh guys…remember what Ariel said the first time we ever came to visit here?" Goofy asked and the two looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"What? Eight years ago?" Sora said. "Goofy, sometimes I barely remember where I put my pants last night much less driving directions from eight years ago!"

"Gawrsh, Sora, don't you worry none!" Goofy said cheerily. "All we gotta do is follow the tridents, remember?"

"Oh yeah!" And so it was, without further ado that the three of them set off for where they saw the shining tridents that were engraved on the walls and stones. Thanks to Goofy's tip of direction they saw the palace approaching in very little time following that. As they entered the palace area many people stared at them, knowing of course who they were, but for the most part ignored them other than that. The trio at last reached Triton's Throne where he was talking with a merman before sending him away upon their arrival.

"King Triton." Sora said and all three bowed to the ruler of the seas now. Triton gave a slightly grave smile to them.

"Welcome back." Triton said wearily and Sora could instantly tell something was wrong. Triton seemed to realize that Sora knew this and he answered without the question being asked. "You see, things haven't been all that happy since you left. All thanks to Ursula's little sister-"

"Morgana." the trio stated simultaneously and Triton quirked an eyebrow at them.

"She's the reason we're here…to stop her." Sora said with a thump to his chest.

"Yes…well, I don't usually approve of the use of the Keyblade in my waters but I fear we may have need of it before long." Triton said with a wearisome sight.

"Hey, I understand your worry now…we met some of those psycho Keyblade masters a while back and believe me…I am not like one of them." Triton nodded and smiled at him. he was about to say something else when a different, Jamaican voice sounded in the palace.

"Your Majesty!!" Sebastian yelled as he swam up to Triton. "Oh, hey dere Sora, Donald, and Goofy. I'd love to talk but we got a problem!"

"What's going on?" Sora asked of Sebastian and even Triton seemed all ears.

"It's Melody! She's gone! I tried to stop her, mon, but she's probably heading right for Morgana. Ariel's waiting for you." Sebastian said, all of it rather fast and Triton's brow furrowed.

"Hmm…so Ariel wants to become a mermaid again to search for her daughter…it is the least I can do." Triton said and he immediately began to swim off. Sora quickly yelled after him and offered their services. Triton accepted and the five of them set off for the surface and Ariel's castle. Sora and Triton were able to catch up with each other and Sora learned of everything that had transpired over the years. After a good half hour of swimming, the group at last reached the beach that Sora and the others had landed near not moments before. Standing on the shore were Ariel, Eric, Kairi, and Auron.

"I told you we'd see each other by sundown!" Sora said and Kairi smiled at him. "Hey there you two!"

"It's good to see you're okay Sora. It wouldn't have been good had you been hurt after the wedding of yours got cancelled." Eric said with a smile and Sora gave a thumbs up.

"Daddy, I-" Ariel began but Triton stopped her and raised his trident into the air. Ariel nodded and jumped forward as if to go into the sea and Triton transformed him back to a mermaid. Ariel immediately swam up and hugged her father. Then she looked at Sora. "Sora, I'm glad to see you."

"Hey, we heard what happened? We'll find your daughter. What's she look like?" Sora asked and Eric bent down next to him, pulling out a small locket with a picture of the three of them. Sora saw that Melody looked a lot like Ariel in terms of her figure and form but instead of red hair she had black hair. Also, she was much younger than Ariel had been the first time they were there. Sora nodded, committing to memory the girl's features (as opposed to the directions to Triton's palace).

"Come on! Let's get going!" Donald yelled loudly and Goofy a-hyucked at Donald's attitude.

"We'll return to Atlantica and start the search there. If Melody has found Morgana and become a mermaid then her first stop will be to experience other merpeople in Atlantica." said Triton sagely. Everybody agreed with him and soon everybody dove beneath the sea, save for Sora.

"Are you guys going to go look for Morgana?" Sora asked and Kairi nodded solemnly. "Be careful…if she really is working with Maleficent, then she'll probably be very powerful."

"You be careful too, mer-boy." Kairi said with a smirk. She bent down and gave her fiancée a kiss on the cheek before he flipped in the air and dove once more beneath the surface of the water. He quickly caught up with the party and the ride to Atlantica was quite silent save for Triton and Ariel catching up with each other as father and daughter. Before long they were back in Atlantica.

_Geez,_ Sora thought slightly angrily, _we land here, swim and get lost on our way to Atlantica, find out Ariel's daughter is as impetuous as she is, and then we have to swim all the way back here just to look for the girl…if kid's are this much trouble then maybe I don't want any…but Kairi…_He was jerked from his thoughts when Donald called out to him. He looked at them and realized that Triton had returned from placing his trident back in the palace.

"Sora, we're splitting up." Donald said and Sora nodded before all of the members around him went to look for Melody in different sections of Atlantica. That gave Sora another moment to think. _Children…does Kairi want kids when all this is over? I had never really given it much thought. I mean, every kid, male or female, thinks about kids when they're little but now it would seem kind of strange. I don't know…on the one hand I want kids and if it'll make Kairi happy then I'll do it…but if I have to do this the rest of my life then I don't want my kids in danger and I don't want them to have to try and follow in my footsteps._

Sora was about to battle with himself on this very complex subject before something caught his eyes. It was a salmon covered fin the whipped around a corner. But Sora noticed a glint of gold that didn't belong. He swam quickly after the receding form. He didn't have to swim very far before he noticed two important details. He had most assuredly found the girl who fit the description of Melody…and she was swimming off with the trident.

**

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**

Author's Note: Yes, I don't know if I've mentioned this but I absolutely love cliffhangers…though if you've seen

_**The Little Mermaid II**_** then you know this isn't really a cliffhanger. I hope I did a good job with this, and yes I know you might be a little angry with the whole Kairi and Auron not transforming but it would have taken too much work and they needed a split up due to the events of the movie. Next chapter is the showdown against Morgana so look forward to it. Review please and always Dare to Be Silly.**


	24. Chapter 23: Morgana the Great

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or _The Little Mermaid II_ and I would hope Maleficent does not own it (Kingdom hearts that is).**

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Chapter 23

Morgana the Great

"_I rule the seas now!"_

-Ursula

"You saw Melody?" Ariel asked of Sora, slightly with relief and slightly with fear. Sora had quickly explained to them exactly what had happened and where he had seen Melody. As the conversation continued, Sora could almost feel Triton's piercing gaze on him and the stare made the hairs that had been matted down by the water pressure prickle on the back of his neck. Ariel twitched around for a little bit and then Triton finally spoke up.

"You didn't think to stop my granddaughter from doing whatever she was doing?!" Triton nearly roared if not realizing the fact that Sora could easily overpower him with the trident. Sora looked at him exasperatedly.

"Yeah…I don't know about you but we have no idea what she's up to. Chances are she could lead us to Morgana. We've stopped Ursula with the trident and if Morgana is any bit as stupid we'll easily take her down." Sora stated clearly as though to make the fact widely known that he was ready to take down this other sea witch.

"But Melody would have led us there had we just stopped and talked to her." Ariel said out of worry for her daughter's safety and Sora shook his head, indicating that he clearly didn't agree with the statement that Ariel was making.

"She seemed to be rather sneaky…and I don't know about you, but from what I've gleaned she's probably pretty pissed at you so…" But Sora's words only trailed off before Donald butted his own way into the conversation.

"Either way, we don't have time!" Donald yelled. "If Morgana is working with Maleficent then if she gets the trident she might be too powerful for even us to stop!"

"And not to mention she might hurt Melody!" Goofy said with concern touching every inch of his voice. Sora scowled a bit. He knew what was right, what the only way to do things was. But somebody had to let Eric and Kairi know exactly what was going down. Sora looked at his companions until they fit upon the red crustacean.

"Sebastian!" Sora said and the red crab snapped to attention.

"Hey, I need you to go and find Eric and Kairi for us, we'll follow Melody!" Sora said with gusto and Sebastian saluted him.

"You got it mon!" Sebastian said, understanding the situation. "But, uh, how are we gonna find you?" Sora smiled at this…he knew exactly how.

"Kairi…she'll find me…she always does." Sora said and without further ado, both parties split up and swam in the opposite directions of each other. Sora's group swam considerably faster, figuring into the equation that stopping Morgana from getting her hands on the trident was monumentally important to everything that was going on. Sora was starting to kick himself before he realized he should have been kicking himself a lot more lately. For one thing, if he had looked into his heart he would have realized that Kairi had been taken captive by Hook long before they left for Wonderland from the Land of Dragons…If only he had caught "The Flaming Edge", if only he had stopped Melody. Sora's head was swimming in a sense that had nothing to do with their location. If, if, if…that was all that Sora could think about right now. And yet, all those "ifs" were getting them nowhere. There was no more time for thinking about ifs and only about what action they were going to take.

The whole entire group had been swimming for quite some time before Sora finally started rubbing his shoulders unconsciously. At first he thought the fatigue was starting to catch up on him…after all, he could fight for a long time but swimming required a lot more muscles and in this form he still wasn't totally used to it. But after he realized that he couldn't stop rubbing his shoulders and that many of the other companions were doing much the same, even the king of the seas, Sora realized that it was not fatigue that was getting to him…but the cold.

Indeed, as the group decided to surface they realized that many solid and polar ice caps were jutting out from all around them. This was definitely a first for Sora but he couldn't help but wonder why Morgana was forced to relocate here…he thought that Ursula's lair would have been good enough since he and the rest of the gang couldn't find her almost seven years ago. However, Sora soon saw a movement and a ripple in the water ahead and he stopped them.

"You guys hear that sound?" Sora asked them, cupping his hand around his ear in order to listen for whatever sound there was in the distance.

"Gawrsh…it sounds like voices." Goofy said and the group swam forward some more and soon they were within discernable earshot range of the conversation that was taking place. And somehow, Sora could sense they were also within discernable range of a dark and nasty power arising. Still, he listened into the conversation.

"Hey, one you get that trident back to Morgana and you become a mermaid forever we can always hang out!" said a voice and Sora thought that it didn't sound like anybody he knew so it must have been from a friend that Melody met since she had become a mermaid. But that made Sora think. _"Get that trident __**back**__ to Morgana"_? Then that obviously meant that the sea witch had tricked her just like Ursula. But before long he heard the girl's voice speak up.

"Yeah, you're right you guys!" Melody's cheerful voice wafted over and immediately all of the swimmers redoubled their efforts in order to reach the girl in time. But all of a sudden they found a large amount of ice peaks appearing and blocking their entrance. they tried to force their way through them but both Sora and Donald knew that there was only one hope. Sora summoned his Keyblade and instantly the two began a fire barrage. They kept the constant stream of fire peppering the ice as they swam through. However, the two were beginning to tire quickly and they still needed strength left to fight when they reached Morgana.

Ariel began to quickly swim ahead despite all the warnings that they gave each other and her specifically. But Sora knew that there was no stopping a woman that was worried about her child…he knew that would probably be how it would be with him and Kairi if they decided to have children. There was the ugly thought rearing its head again. He wanted to stop thinking about whether they would have children or not…or whether they would even survive or not until that moment. But every time he thought of Ariel, Eric, and Melody the thoughts kept coming back to him in a storm. Until he heard the screaming. Sora was through. He flipped into the air and sent a huge ribbon of flame across the landscape, clearing away much of the ice, leaving a direct line to Morgana.

"Melody, don't give it to her!" Ariel yelled as Sora swam up to them. Melody looked at her with shock, some small sense of realization. Sora thought she looked pretty for her age and having known her parents she understood where the looks came from. But he also saw a woman with tentacles that looked uglier that Maleficent and Ursula combined. Morgana had her hand extended, asking for the trident.

"Your mother's right! Morgana's evil!" Sora cried. Melody didn't know him, but he thought it was worth a try for all the good it would do. But Morgana only leaned down more and Sora could see in the poor girl's eyes the betrayal that was evident within them and so Sora and his crew watched in horror as she handed the trident to Morgana. Morgana rose up high, lightning crackling around her as she cackled.

"Now I rule the seas! Not you Triton!" Morgana yelled and she raised the trident into the air. Lightning rained down on the group and Ariel groaned in pain as one of the rays struck her. "Now let's see what we can do to the dear princess and the Keyblade Master!" She first pointed the trident at Ariel, turning her back into a human as well as Melody. Melody floundered into the sea, now reacting to the shock that had just manifested itself upon her. She had been betrayed…not by her mother, but by Morgana. Triton swam after her, to quickly catch his grand-daughter from drowning but Morgana waved a finger and shot a beam at triton, forcing him to bow down. Morgana then turned with a truly wicked smile to Sora, Donald and Goofy.

"Under the water!" Sora yelled and they dove as the trident glanced over them. Sora knew Morgana hadn't expected that from them. Sora turned to his friends. "We gotta save Melody!" But as Sora looked around, melody was nowhere to be found. Sora chanced his peek at the surface and saw, to his great relief, that melody was resting with a walrus and a penguin on the the surface of an ice cap. She was recovering quickly but Sora knew that they didn't have much time left. "Guys, distract Morgana!"

"What are you going to do?!" Donald cried out exasperatedly. Sora gave him a grin as well as well as some raised eyebrows. As he did so, he delved into his heart and found what he was looking for.

"I'm going for Eric and Kairi!" Sora said, and without further ado, he dove underwater, leaving his friends to deal with the now extremely powerful sea witch. Sora swam quickly despite the lack of energy that was wearing him down. He knew he used more magic than he should have given the situation but it had at least gotten all of them within range of the Ugly Tentacle Queen Mark II. Sora followed his heart as he swam on and soon he came up to the hull of the ship. "Kairi!!" Kairi, Eric, and Auron all dashed over to the side of the ship rather quickly.

"Sora, I was able to follow your heart here…what's going on?" Kairi asked, worried at the expression of haste on Sora's face. He darted around and kept swimming around to keep in step with the ship.

"Morgana has the trident, she's changed Ariel back and is making others bow to her now. Donald and Goofy are trying to hold her off…but they can only do it for so long. I'll go and help to distract her till you guys get there!" Sora yelled and he swam back to his friends. He knew the others wouldn't screw up…and he already had a plan for distracting Morgana the best. When he reached the site of the battle again Donald and Goofy were defending themselves with either their shell or their magic.

"Sora, bout time you got back here!" Donald yelled in frustration, clearly stretched to his wits end at the whole entire situation. Sora nodded with a very grim look on his face. He summoned the Keyblade again as Morgana fired another ray of magic at them. Sora knocked it away with his Keyblade.

"Goofy, I need your help to do this…Donald, cover me with some magic!" Donald nodded with a very set look and Sora willed his and Goofy's hearts together. Goofy disappeared from the field as his heart merged with Sora's. There was a blinding and bursting light before Sora finally emerged, his dolphin tail now being red and he was wielding the Kingdom Key and the Oathkeeper in his hands. "Come on you ugly witch, you're going down!"

"I don't think so!" Morgana bellowed and fired a ray of the trident at Sora. Sora quickly dove underwater to dodge it and with extreme speed swam forth until he was next to Morgana's iceberg. He flipped into the air and spun around in midair his Keyblades spinning rapidly. Morgana held the trident up to block against the onslaught but Sora changed his trajectory and with surprising ease, lopped off one of Morgana's tentacles. Great green goo was expulsed from the now empty socket of where the tentacle had once been. Sora dove straight down into the water, all he needed to do now was get that trident away from her. Morgana scowled and began firing bolts of the trident everywhere. One of them hit Donald and he was forced to bow down to her.

"Sora! Hurry!" Donald yelled as Sora flipped back above the surface with a plan of how to get the trident away from Morgana. Before he could act on it though Morgana fired a bolt at him and he was thrown backward, sliding across one of the ice caps. The Oathkeeper disappeared from his hand and Goofy appeared in turtle form right beside him. Sora groaned in pain as he raised his head. Morgana had clearly used the power of the trident to cancel that form. He looked at her and saw that the area where he had lopped off the tentacle was red and raw.

"Now you bow to me, Keyblade Master!" Morgana said and without further warning, fired a ray from the trident at Sora. It hit Sora, but somehow he felt no different. He wasn't complied or obliged to bow down and in fact felt quite the same as he had before she fired the beam. Morgana looked at the trident with confusion but Sora realized what was going on.

"Hey Morgana!" Sora yelled and Morgana glared at him. "The thing is, I'm just that: the Keyblade Master!" With that he at last brought his Keyblade up and was able to redirect the streams of magical energy flowing from the trident, smirking all the while. When at last, Morgana cut off her energy there was a foghorn in the distance and Sora knew that at last the others had arrived.

"Step away from my wife and daughter!" Eric yelled loudly but Morgana clearly had other plans for the men aboard the ship and she fired the trident at them. All of the men aboard the ship complied with her demands and bowed down to her and the ship managed to ram straight into an iceberg. Thankfully though, Kairi and Auron had jumped off at the last minute.

"I don't think so!" Kairi snarled out, summoning her Keyblade. Morgana scowled at them once again and Auron held his blade in front of him.

"This is our story…and you're not part of it." Auron said with confidence and Morgana shrieked with fury. She raised the trident into the air.

"Heartless! Eliminate them!" Morgana yelled and a multitude of shark Heartless appeared in the water and began to circle around.

"Oh crap!" Sora yelled before he turned to Kairi. "Kairi, push me into the water, I can fight better from there and it's just a little difficult to get myself into the water right now." Kairi smiled at him and quickly pushed him into the water. The Heartless charged him and Sora expertly dodged them in the water and sent an electric shock through the current which severely damaged the Heartless. They then decided to switch tactics and aimed for the land bound warriors. Auron smirked and he leapt into the air, bringing his blade down into the ice. The ice however did not crack, but instead large columns of flame shot up and incinerated all of the Heartless. Kairi glared at Morgana.

"Morgana, you're finished!" Kairi yelled and focusing her will on an ice shard she yelled "Freeze!" and an ice shard flew at the sea witch but Morgana waved the trident and it batted the ice aside. She cackled.

"Did you really think that was going to stop me?!" Morgana yelled. "I am the ruler of the seas now, Maleficent will reward me with your deaths and Atlantica shall know all fear."

"I don't think so!" Sora cried, flipping out of the water and aiming a large beam of light at his opponent. It nearly hit Morgana to but she managed to block it with the trident and using its energy she pushed Sora back. Sora flew out of the water and slammed straight into Kairi and they rolled along the iceberg a bit. "Sorry about that Kairi!" Sora looked up and noticed that Auron was cleaning away the last of the Heartless.

"Hmph, looks like your Heartless are no more." Auron said nonchalantly and Morgana grumbled with frustration.

"How dare you defeat my Heartless?!" Morgana shrieked. "Bow to my power!" Sora cried out as the trident's power now flew at Auron but as it hit him he merely chuckled and shook his head. "What?! Why isn't the trident working?! You're no Keyblade Master!"

"No…I'm not…I'm just dead." Auron said, chortling all the while before he threw his blade at the iceberg upon which Morgana was resting and it struck it, creating several large cracks at its base. Morgana began to lose her footing and her grip on the trident became slackened. It was about to slip from her grasp but the tips of her fingers caught onto it and she cackled with triumph until a force hit her from behind. Sora smirked and saw that indeed, Melody was struggling with the evil witch, having hit her from behind. After a few tense seconds Melody was able to release the trident from her grasp. She grabbed it and threw so as to reach Triton. But Sora knew that it never would.

"Kairi, pick me up by the fin and help me reach that trident!" Sora commanded and Kairi most certainly obliged. She picked him up and with the last ounce of her strength spun him around. He grabbed the trident and flung it off. "King Triton!" The trident flew until it at last landed in the hands of the ruler of the seas. Instantly everyone stopped bowing to Morgana as Kairi slowly lowered Sora down and the two collapsed against each other, out of breath.

"Impossible!" was all they heard Morgana yelled before Triton fired his own beam from the trident and encased Morgana in a block of ice. With all of the weight and the pressure crushing down on her the newly formed iceberg slipped and fell, deep down to the ocean below where they hoped to never hear from her again. Sora smiled and then he saw Melody run up to Ariel and hug her, making his smile even wider.

"Mother…I'm so sorry I had no idea." Melody said in anguish, realizing that everything was in fact her fault. Ariel stroked her hair and Eric soon came to join them.

"It's okay…we should have told you of your heritage…we should never have kept it from you." Ariel said soothingly before Melody finally noticed the form of King Triton. She ran over to him, nearly slipping on the ice. She hugged her grandfather and acknowledged him as such before Triton drew her away from him to arms lengths.

"Melody, as your grandfather I am very proud of you and therefore I am giving you a choice." Triton said deeply and gravely and Sora could almost sense the ultimatum coming. "You can either become a mermaid and remain with me in Atlantica forever…or return home with your parents and be cut off from the sea. You must choose." Sora snorted out after this last comment.

"Not much of a choice at all…why don't we just ask her to sacrifice herself while she's at it?" Sora said with a jest playing all over his voice but Kairi still playfully smacked him on the head. "Not the spikes, not the spikes!" Kairi giggled and the two slumped against each other some more, very tired from the long adventure. Melody pondered the choices but then smiled at her grandfather.

"I have a better idea." Melody said and her face was all aglow as she said it.

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Author's Note: Okay, it was short but my battle chapters are typically short since that's usually all I focus on in that chapter. I hope you liked it…but I thought the merman-Valor form idea was kind of cool personally. I wanted to make it epic and I really hope I did so. That pretty much clears out Atlantica so you know what comes next (Let's STRUGGLE!!!...I'm only kidding). In any case, we have only two chapters left of this part so prepare yourselves, please review, and Dare to Be Silly.


	25. Chapter 24: Combination at the Castle

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts nor do I own and queasy feelings with some perhaps not that disturbing but may be disturbing content in this chapter...yes, I know that made no sense...but I have to live up to my T rating.**

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Chapter 24

Combination at the Castle of Dreams

"_Now I'm goin' round to a bunch of different worlds, building an army of Heartless, special for her!"_

-Pete, regarding Maleficent's plans

Maleficent was, to say the very least, absolutely furious. First Mim, then her own defeat at Enchanted Dominion…and now this. The Mistress of All Evil wasn't a particularly happy camper at this point. She had practically gift-wrapped Morgana's victory for her. She was the one who had led Melody to Morgana in the guise of a pair of manta rays after she ran away from home. The trident had been within Morgana's grasp, but once again that wretched boy Sora had to come in and screw everything up all over again. She hurled a green fireball against the wall but it didn't dent it in the slightest. Aggravation was settling in full tilt as the whole Castle That Never Was quaked with her fury. After a few more moments she at last calmed down…not everything was lost yet. The sound of a dark portal opening came from behind her and Maleficent cocked her head in said direction.

The Huntsman stepped out looking slightly smug though disheveled and worn down. Maleficent couldn't help but smile. Threats were extremely helpful when trying to get people to do the job right and it seemed that the Huntsman had done just that. He bowed as the dark portal closed behind him.

"Maleficent…all the plans are set. It is all replicated and ready to be launched." the Huntsman said and Maleficent could feel the pride oozing into his voice. Not that she could blame him. If they pulled off this next venture then it was most likely that the Keyblade Masters would be of very limited resistance to all of them. Maleficent turned around, holding her staff aloft as she would a torch, it being the only light in the room.

"Very well…go on ahead, I shall meet you there." Maleficent said with her own smugness coming into play. The Huntsman bowed again as he entered yet another portal of darkness in the same direction. Maleficent smirked to herself. "Pete!" There was a sound of bustle and a hustle from the room right next to the one she was abiding in. The door was suddenly flung open and a fraction of light entered the room as Pete entered in.

"Yes ma'am!" Pete said, saluting to her. She turned to him.

"I need you to go to the Castle of Dreams and start rebuilding our Heartless army there." Maleficent said and Pete nodded, indicating that he understood Maleficent's instructions. Maleficent waved a hand and a dark portal appeared for which Pete would go through. "Also, I have a message that you must deliver for me…"

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Sora was floating lazily on his back under the sunlight while the sounds of joyous laughter and youthful abandon were singing in the air. Sora thought Melody had made a great choice. Choosing to disintegrate the wall between the castle and the sea was truly a good choice. The humans and merpeople could live together at last, something that Ariel had been pushing for since their first visit to Atlantica. Sora was glad his work here was done with Morgana defeated, though it could not have happened were it not for Melody.

Sora righted himself quickly to look for Kairi and found her standing on the beach. Donald and Goofy were off playing with Flounder's kids and Sebastian as well as some of the other merpeople. But Sora's eyes only found the beautiful form of Kairi who was chatting with Auron. Both of them didn't want to get wet…but Sora's mischievous smile told everyone around them that he was thinking otherwise. He dove under the water and swam very close to the beach. Kairi had been standing with two of her feet in the tide as it reminded her slightly of the surf and sea back home on Destiny Islands. Sora had no idea what his fiancée and the warrior were talking about and nor did he care. With extreme agility his hands shot out and he pulled Kairi into the sea with him. She squealed momentarily before realizing that Sora was in fact the one who had pulled her down, at which point she proceeded to hitting him lightly on his shoulders and arms. Sora just laughed.

"You are so easy to scare sometimes…" Sora chuckled out and Kairi gave him a very sour glare that Sora found to be quite comical, even if it was coming from Kairi.

"Well…how was I supposed to know it wasn't some eel or something like that?" Kairi said, her glare deepening.

"Umm…I don't think eels live near the shore dear." Sora said, the playfulness he had going for him expressed in every one of his features. Sora let go of Kairi and let her stand there in the waist-deep water. Her look changed as he let go of her and Sora knew that she was definitely thinking about something.

"Sora, I've been meaning to talk to you about something." Kairi said, as though she were going to make a confession about something. Regardless, Sora was all ears for anything Kairi had to say to him.

"What is it Kairi?" Sora asked her, looking her in her deep, azure eyes. Kairi shifted a little under the water, trying to find the proper words to say.

"Well, it's-" but before she could say anything more Triton boomed out and came over to them. Donald and Goofy left the sides of their new friends and joined up with Sora and Kairi.

"So, Sora, where are you going now?" Triton asked, knowing full well that the Keyblade Master was planning on setting off.

"Ah! I completely forgot, we have to meet up with His Majesty at the Castle of Dreams!" Sora said, whacking his head with the palm of his hand. Kairi sighed behind him, disappointed she wasn't able to speak with him…but decided that perhaps the Gummi Ship was a much better location to talk about such things. But nobody heard her sigh thanks to Donald jabbering next to her.

"Well then, let's get going!" Donald yelled and Sora nodded in determination, knowing they had spent more than enough time here.

"Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi." came Auron's gruff voice from behind them and they all turned around to look at him. "I thank you for allowing me a chance to meddle here."

"Well, where're you going Auron?" Goofy asked, confused as to how Auron might get home.

"I need to go back and defend the coliseum." His body suddenly became transparent as pyreflies started flowing around, indicating that was the way that he would go back. Sora glared at Auron.

"You mean you could have just done that and come here, beaten the crap out of Morgana and we would have been on our way!" Sora yelled, slightly frustrated. Auron gave a hearty chuckle.

"I thought you four could use some extra company." Auron said before he was gone completely. Sora smiled, though he was slightly saddened by the dead warrior's departure. He then looked around at all of his companions and they nodded to him.

"Bye Ariel, Eric, King Triton, Melody! Take care!" Sora said and he beamed the party of four onto the Gummi Ship. When they entered the ship, Kairi was surprised to find she was the only one that was dripping with water…no doubt thanks to the transformations that the other three had. Sora quickly left for the cockpit and Kairi followed, resolved to talk to him. Donald and Goofy, confident in their captain's abilities went off to get something to eat from the ship galley. When Kairi entered the cockpit she saw Sora looking at the star map.

"You know…for someone who's not very good with computers, you certainly know how to analyze a star chart." Kairi said with a smug and playful smile on her lips. Sora looked at her and grinned.

"Yeah, well, this is the only thing I actually know how to use that's technologically based. The last time I tried using a computer…I nearly broke it." Sora said, finding the Castle of Dreams on the star map and selected it. He read a quick bio of it and then entered it in as their next destination. He swiveled around in his chair. "After Chip and Dale installed it all those years ago on our last visit I had them teach me how to use it so I'd never get lost again by Gummi Ship!" Kairi nodded and sat down on one of the chairs next to Sora. Sora swiveled to face her.

"I guess out here in space you've always known your stuff huh?" Kairi said, looking into Sora's eyes where she saw the light continually kindling itself. "When Riku and I went to look for you after that whole fiasco last year…you would have no idea how hard it was for us to learn the basics." Sora sat there and thought for a moment about the first time he had piloted a ship and landed right in the thicket of Deep Jungle. But then he remembered something else.

"Oh, Kairi, you wanted to talk to me about something?" Sora said, concern brushing his features.

"That's right." Kairi said, slightly wearily. She forced herself to look Sora straight in the eye as she asked the question. "Sora, have you ever thought about…about children?" Sora felt his breath catch in his throat. He should have known that this conversation would be coming sooner or later…but why now? He struggled to find words to speak but for a few moments he couldn't even gather a thought in his head.

"Kind of…" he finally managed to blurt out. "But, I mean, we're not even married yet Kairi, why would we even think about that?"

"Because we are getting married Sora!" Kairi yelled out, perhaps a little more forcefully and loudly than she had intended to. "I'm about to spend the rest of my life with you when this is all over and we need to think about whether we're going to have a legacy or not."

"A legacy! Kairi, I wouldn't want our children to be legacies! You think I would want them to live this life!" Sora cried out. he didn't want his children to take up the mantle of Keyblade wielders or even have to be doomed to a world of darkness if their mother and father fell in battle.

"I wouldn't want them to live it either…but that's what we're out here for: to end this time!" Kairi cried out, tears starting to well in her eyes. "I know we're not married but wouldn't you want a child that you could hold and call your own."

"I don't know Kairi…" Sora said and Kairi could all of a sudden feel him starting to slip away. "Yes, children would be wondrous and yet terrible at the same time. We don't know where all this is going and Kairi…"

"What scares you about it?" Kairi asked, cutting across him and he leapt out of his chair, beginning to pace around. "Talk to me Sora, don't shut me out like this."

"I don't want to lose any kids we might have and I don't want to lose you either…that's happened far too many times for me already." Sora said, his pent up frustration of the whole situation beginning to now slowly leak out. "Kairi, I don't even understand how you could think about kids when we haven't even been intimate with each other once."

"You know that there is a perfectly good reason we haven't had sex Sora!" Kairi screeched, appalled that Sora would even think such a thing. "I'm staying abstinent till marriage and we're not married yet!"

"I'm not faulting you for that." Sora said, his frustration starting to turn to anger. "I won't deny I've thought about seducing you and I know that you sometimes have had a hard time controlling thoughts of yours about being intimate with me," Kairi gasped at this, shocked too much almost to speak. "That's why we lived separately to not give into the temptation. I didn't want to just as much as you didn't."

"We've resisted this far, so why stop now?" Kairi said, getting slightly angry at her fiancée until she noticed that he had tears rolling down his cheek. She didn't know what they could be from but she reached forward and touched him on the shoulder. "I'm sorry Sora…I never…"

"Let's just…let's talk about this another time, okay?" Sora said and before Kairi could even protest the moment, Sora was gone from the cockpit. The conversation hadn't gone at all the way she wanted to. Of course Sora would be reluctant right now. He would be a father…and Kairi knew just how much Sora's father had loved and taken care of him.

Not very much at all.

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Only an hour later, the Gummi Ship had at last settled into orbit around the Castle of Dreams. They noticed through their ship's scanners that King Mickey was already down there and waiting for all four of them to arrive. Sora didn't talk to Kairi at all but Kairi figured he was just giving her space. They needed time to think. Sora flicked the switch and the party of four were all sent down to the world below. They landed outside a castle gate that was ridiculously pristine and white. It was pure beauty in Sora's eyes and he figured that it was here that they were to meet with the king. He took a step forward and the castle gates suddenly opened, a short man standing in front of them.

"Masters Sora, Donald, and Goofy along with Mistress Kairi I presume?" the short man with monocle that Sora now noticed said to them. Sora nodded at them and he immediately did an about face. "Follow me, His Majesty is waiting for you." The man then led the four of them through the halls of the castle. Sora found the castle to truly be an amazing spectacle, even despite all the other castles he had been to in his lifetime. They were walking for about ten minutes when at last they halted before a set of wide oaken doors. The man turned around once again and bowed before them before opening the doors himself.

Sora was the one to take the lead forward into the hall where the smells of food were wafting into all of their nostrils. Clearly, Cinderella and her Prince Charming knew how to dine quite well. The hall was nothing less of astonishing and was made of marble and was a pure marvel. There were blue banners hung from the walls and Sora could have almost sworn he was in Disney Castle if the banners hadn't been blue. He looked and saw a long table stretching in front of him with all the food laden on it…it really looked to be a treat. As he looked at who was seated at the table he saw Cinderella talking with a man that Sora supposed was the prince of this world. Next to them was King Mickey himself in all of his mouse-like glory. Seated next to Mickey and across from Cinderella was Demora who still had her brown hair tied in a ponytail and looked a lot more mature than the last time he had seen her. Then he saw who was sitting next to Cinderella at the table and he gasped.

"Riku!" Sora yelled and the silver-haired man at the table gave his best friend a smile and stood up. Sora and Kairi ran up to him as Donald and Goofy ran to the king. Sora was about to give him a hug but Riku stopped him.

"Hey, no hugs Sora." Riku said in defense of his pride and Sora snickered.

"Come on, it was gonna be a manly hug." Riku still denied the offer completely. Then Kairi, without warning pulled all three of them into a big group hug until they had sniggers coming from the other side of the table. They all disbanded and glared at Gentai and Demora.

"I never thought I'd see anything so sappy since the night Sora proposed to Kairi." Gentai said with a laugh which caused the couple to glare at him. "I'm kidding you guys, welcome back."

"Welcome back?!" Sora spat out. "We should be welcoming you guys back! We haven't seen you for a whole freaking year."

"And with good reason." Riku said, a smirk still playing his face that Kairi wanted to wipe right off. "By the way, we heard about the wedding. Sorry about that you guys."

"Hey, it was no big deal really. What about you? When did you decide to show up?" Kairi asked, looking back and forth between Riku and Gentai as she asked it. Both of the boys shrugged their shoulders but Riku was the one to answer, as he usually was.

"We decided to join up with the king when we heard Maleficent was going to attack them on Enchanted Dominion. Oh, and Aurora's safe by the way, no thanks to you."

"No thanks to us!" Sora shot back. "You're talking to the guy who, with the help of Donald and Goofy, made sure Jasmine was okay, rescued Belle and Alice from heartless. Saved Kairi from Captain Hook and took out Morgana of Maleficent's Hellfire Club!" Sora thumped his chest proudly and Kairi beamed at him which made Riku twitch a bit. He knew Sora had been busy but not so busy that he had within the course of a few days outshone him for what he had done in a year.

"Okay, so you know your stuff. I'm just joking anyway." Riku said, patting Sora patronizingly on the shoulder. "Glad to see that your up to date on the Hellfire Club…makes much less work for us."

"Yeah, His Majesty's filled in so now we don't have to explain anything to you." Gentai said with his own playful smirk and shrug.

"Oh I don't think so…I don't care if you've talked to His Majesty about it. Next chance we get you're telling us everything!" Sora said and Riku just laughed at that statement.

"Well, Sora wins again! Just so you know, we've been here about an hour and we can absolutely assure you that Cinderella is absolutely safe." Riku said. But no sooner had he said it than a small explosion rocked the walls of the castle. It was only minor but the jitter could still be felt throughout. "Strange…there are no explosives here. What could be…?" Riku trailed off at the end of this sentence but both Sora and Gentai knew and replied aloud simultaneously.

"Pete…" they sighed out and immediately summoned their Keyblades to their hands. Mickey had already had his out and both Kairi and Riku were quick to follow suit. Donald, Goofy and Demora quickly armed themselves and ran outside where smoke was clearing from where an arch had recently tumbled from an explosion. Sure enough, from where the rubble was and where the smoke had cleared they could discern the big and hefty shape of Pete who was laughing maniacally.

"I told ya not to mess with the mighty Pete!!" Pete yelled out in an exuberantly confident tone. Sora was the first to step forward from the group.

"So what are you doing here 'mighty' Pete?" Sora inserted in snidely and Pete quickly turned around and sighed.

"Can't ya ever just leave me alone?" Pete said, slightly crestfallen it would seem that they were there. "I'm here on a mission so just scram! I'm behind schedule." Sora gave a hearty laugh at that statement which was joined in by Gentai.

"Yeah…like you'd ever even complete that schedule." Gentai said, inserting his own jab at Maleficent's assistant.

"Hey, I'm working here! Now why doesn't the brat squad just back off!" Pete said and they all held their weapons tighter, ready to let the guy have it.

"Hey, it's Sora, Donald, Goofy, Gentai, Riku, Kairi, His Majesty, and Demora to you and don't you forget it doofus!" Sora yelled and Donald sighed behind him.

"Oh brother…that was a mouthful." Donald said and Sora just shrugged at him.

"Hey, what else was I supposed to say?" Sora said before his glance snapped back to Pete.

"Nobody calls me doofus! Nobody!! You squirts are going down!" Pete said in a rage. Sora snickered at this statement.

"Yeah…might I remind you that three of us, sorry, four of us have battled you here and we always won." Sora said proudly and Pete seemed to recoil for a minute. For that reason, he decided to switch to a new tactic.

"Hmph! Heartless squad, round up!" Suddenly Neoshadows sprang from the ground. But the competition proved much too weak for the prowess of their group and was soon eliminated. Sora stepped forward again, pointing his Keyblade at Pete.

"Simple Heartless for professionals like us! Weak stuff Pete, you should know better." Sora said in a mocking tone and Pete scowled at him.

"Hey, I was just the distraction. The real shows about to begin, but not here. I was just tryin' to build up the army but Maleficent didn't care if I failed. She just wanted me to stall so she could finish preparing the attack on your home." Pete said smugly, placing his hands on his hips.

"The islands?" Kairi asked skeptically. "Do you know just how strong the residents that live there are?" But at Kairi's statement Pete merely shook his head and chuckled.

"I never said anything about the islands." Pete waved his hands and a dark portal appeared behind him. "Maleficent's attackin the world of Agradar and she's gonna raze it to the ground." With that thought in everybody's mind, Gentai's being the foremost, he backed into the dark corridor and was gone within a matter of seconds.

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Author's Note: Ka-Bam! Did you really think I would end the second to last chapter with a cliffhanger? You should know me better than that if you thought I wouldn't. I hope you enjoyed this. It wasn't very action packed but it was certainly filled with heavy material that I believe for once lived up to its T rating (since I don't think anything else other than the battles live up to it). With this thought in your mind we now set off for the final chapter. Note that this will not end the story _**Twisted Souls**_** but rather one part of it. So if you want to know hoe the story will continue after that point I suggest you put me on some kind of Author Alert, please and thank you. In the meantime, review the second-to-last chapter of this part and always Dare to Be Silly.**


	26. Chapter 25: Plots and Errors

**DISCLAIMER: For the last time on this part...I don't own Kingdom Hearts.**

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Chapter 25

Plots and Errors

"_You poor simple fools!"_

-Maleficent

Gentai was frozen in place upon hearing those words. Had he really caused so much trouble for Maleficent over the past year that she would threaten them all with destroying his home world? He knew that she couldn't use the Heartless to do so because they had sealed the Keyhole which meant that she was most likely going to slaughter everyone on the planet. He didn't know how she could possibly attempt to do that in her lifetime but only one true thought was racing its way around the race track in Gentai's head: he had to stop her. Without a single word to his friends and companions he whipped around and began to walk away.

"Gentai! Where are you going?" Sora called out to his receding back as Gentai walked away, deaf to the very loud pleas coming from his friends. "Gentai!" Sora ran forward as fast as he could and quickly caught Gentai by the shoulder and held him there. Gentai attempted to struggle free but Sora's grip was too tight on him.

"Let me go!" Gentai demanded, now gripping Sora's hand tightly and trying to wrench it off of his shoulder so that he could keep moving.

"What are you planning to do?" Sora asked him and Gentai knew Sora would not let him go until the boy came clean and answered the question.

"Where do you think I'm going?!" Gentai yelled in frustration with such a biting tone that Sora actually backed off. "Maleficent is threatening my entire world and you think I'm just going to stand by and let her do so? I don't think so! I'm saving my world and my parents!" He didn't tell them that it was pretty much all he had left other than Demora and to see them go would be almost heart breaking.

"Gentai…you don't need to do this alone." came Riku's voice, softer than usual, perhaps differing only based on the situation. Gentai shot his traveling companion of a year a look that was welling up with tears and anguish. Riku knew he needed to do this, if not for his family or his world then for himself.

"I'm not going to ask you all to put your lives in danger because of me." Gentai said with determination and resolve but Sora was the first to speak up for the group.

"Don't you get it yet Gentai?" Sora said, walking forward and placing his hand once more on the boy's shoulder. This time however it was a lighter touch and Gentai could understand that only kindness was flowing from this man's hands. "We're friends and we always stick together, okay? No matter what happens, through the thick and thin. As me, Donald, and Goofy always say: All for one and…" Everybody else joined in to say the creed.

"ONE FOR ALL!!!" Gentai looked around at all of his friends, even if he barely knew them. From Donald who was standing there with a smile on his face and a stubbornness that showed he wouldn't go anywhere if he wasn't allowed to help Gentai. To Goofy who let out a small "a-hyuck" and rubbed his nose slightly. Then to Sora who was beaming at him with the brightest complexion known to man kind. To Kairi who was glowing and brimming with kindness almost as much with Sora. To his good friend Riku who had a smirk of defiance on his face that indicated clearly he would not accept the word "no" for an answer. He looked at King Mickey whose smile was the mere offerings of assistance. And at long last his eyes reached Demora who smiled at him and seemed to pour forth all the love she had for Gentai into that single stare. She stepped forward as Sora drew away and took his hands.

"No matter what, we're here for you, all of us." Demora said before she kissed him. Riku rolled his eyes along with Donald while Goofy and Mickey smiled to themselves. Sora and Kairi merely held hands as they looked at the happy couple. Eventually, after the need for air became great they split apart and Demora stared her boyfriend in the eyes. "We're going with you and we'll beat this witch." Gentai nodded, glad that he had indeed found help that would last and stay with him for a lifetime. He fixed all of them with a look of determination that spoke volumes.

"We're gonna take down Maleficent. Are you ready for a rumble?" Gentai yelled and, as per usual, Sora, Donald, and Goofy sprung into the air shouting that they could defeat the witch. They had done it once before and they could do it now. Mickey took this moment to speak up as to an overall battle strategy.

"I think we should only take one ship." Mickey told them all with a fierce look on his face. "It would be too difficult to master coordination and timing with our Gummi Ships getting there if we took two. I'll send the message onto the _Pearl_ for auto-pilot back to Disney Castle. I'm hoping we won't need it anymore." All of the members there agreed. Sora summoned his Keyblade and was about to beam them onto the ship before he thought of something.

"This is your show Gentai. Beam us up!" Sora said proudly. Gentai gave him a look of disbelief, but when Sora kept staring straight at him Gentai knew that it was time for him to do this. He summoned his magnificent black and white Pale Twilight Keyblade into his hand and raised it up to the sky. But before the beaming sequence took place, Sora said one more thing. "Let's kick some Maleficent biscuit!" Kairi giggled at that and soon they were beamed aboard the Gummi Ship. As soon as all of their eight pairs of feet hit the floor of the Gummi Ship both Sora and Gentai set off for the cockpit.

Sora knew that Gentai did at least have some skill at flying a Gummi Ship but he wasn't exactly sure how much skill the boy had. All he knew was that Gentai had survived during four attacks on his ship…though he was only piloting for one of them. When they reached there, Gentai quickly brought up the star chart and Sora began looking at it.

"So where's your world on this map?" Sora asked, trying to find the right dot that represented the world of Agradar. Gentai quickly spotted it and tapped it. A small information reading came up and Sora decided to read it, despite the hurry they indeed found themselves in.

_Agradar; the planet of science and technology. Founded very long ago it was one a primitive land until the father of technology Mortic Glamfrine began to research weaponry and soon created a wide arsenal. Now with two continents and five separate islands, this was once one land but due to events has been split into many small pieces._

"That's my world for you…" Gentai said and he input the coordinates into the computer. Sora watched him doing this and he knew that the boy had skill. The only reason they were taking the Gummi Ship was because of Demora, Donald, and Goofy, all of whom couldn't use the handy Keyblade portals.

"We're putting it on warp drive, I'm guessing?" Sora asked his younger friend and a devilish smile passed over Gentai's features and Sora could only worry about what that meant.

"I don't think so…I'm taking this to my level." He quickly toggled some switches and the ship slowly pulled out of orbit. Agradar was only a small ways of them past the Castle of Dreams so Gentai knew that it wouldn't take too agonizingly long to get there…but he was still worried. Sora was getting more tense by the second. Sure, Gentai was moving slowly now but they were just getting out of orbit. His fears proved correct, for the instant they were a good distance away from the Castle of Dreams, Gentai set the Gummi Ship forward faster than any warp drive could carry them, even on the new super-fast Falcon Nova model.

"Gentai, you're going to fly her apart at these speeds!!" Sora yelled, his frustration and slight fear going into every overtone of his voice. Gentai snapped him a blazing look that almost made the Keyblade Master back off.

"Then I'll fly her apart!!" Gentai said and Sora knew there was a streak of defiance in him. Then he snapped his look straight back to the screen that displayed what was in front of him in space. "Besides, I don't think we'll have a problem…Gummi blocks may be solid but they have a wonderful spring back and aren't easily melted or frozen allowing them to be durable at maximum speeds." Sora thought they were moving too fast at this point for any conscious thought as his head was partially swimming so he moved to the door out of the cockpit.

"Right…if you need me, I'll be asking Riku for details about your trip the past year." Gentai heard the door whoosh both open and close. Then he continued to pilot the ship meanwhile turning his thoughts inward. He had to save his family. He hadn't seen them in over a year, not since he had gotten his Keyblade and he was absolutely sure that his parents would want to see him again at least one more time before they died. But he couldn't let that day be today. Whatever Maleficent was trying to get back at him for he wasn't going to allow it to happen.

But deep down, he knew exactly what Maleficent wanted him for. He knew what she wanted revenge on him for. He had scorned her too many times in the past. Somehow she saw the makings of darkness in his heart despite its ever-blossoming light and she wanted to manipulate what she conceived was there, just like she had with Riku. But Gentai would never join her cause after everything she had done to the worlds. He had never joined Zexion as Tom had and he never would have willingly joined Terra a year ago. That wasn't who Gentai was. He was a simple kid with a weighty destiny…and today he was going to fulfill it at last.

As he neared his own world he saw the radar indicating approach in five minutes based on the speed they were going. Gentai began to pull back a bit on the thrusters so they wouldn't be going so fast that they'd overshoot the world by a wide margin. The ship slowed down to normal speed just as they reached sight of Agradar. At last, Gentai was able to gently bring the ship into orbit around the world and he ran to the beaming devices. All of his friends were standing there on the beaming devices. He said a quick prayer for the future and flicked the switch, beaming them down to the world below.

What Gentai saw appalled him. Dead corpses littered the ground, crossbow bolts were implanted in many of their hearts and some seemed to have been stabbed by a sword or otherwise burn marks covered their entire bodies. The corpses almost made many of the members gag. There was something about a dead body that nobody wanted to see. Most of the victims of Maleficent's reign of terror often had their hearts stolen and so the physical evidence of their body was completely erased from existence. But not this time. This time the bodies were still there, still scarred, still lifeless.

Blood spattered some of the deathly pale corpses, remnants of when the crossbow bolt had hit them in their chest. Riku's senses hit a near overload by the smell of death and the fetid darkness swarming around the land there. The smell reached all of their noses and they cringed from it, tears beginning to form in Gentai's eyes at the fact he was already too late to save this place. The buildings were still intact but Gentai could see that the forest where Hikaru had lived was burned down, and the last remnants of his existence other than a mention in the Radiant Garden study were now long since gone. But then Gentai saw two forms among the dead and scarred. A black, raven haired woman with green eyes similar to his own. And a man with short brown hair.

The pair of them were only a few feet in front of him and upon seeing them he gave a sharp intake of breath as though he was hit by an invisible something. He bent over them and examined them…knowing immediately who they were. His parents were before him, completely passed on. Gentai wanted to weep for what had happened to them, what had befallen them. He had wanted so desperately to save his parent and his world but now they were gone in a wink. And it was a wink that Gentai would never be able to just blink twice and have it go away…ever. The light had left them; the only bit of light remaining was now within their son who had returned only a moment too late.

There was a great rushing noise and the realm in which they were standing or kneeling was lit with an ethereal green light as the witch herself with her Huntsman appeared near them. Many of them prepared to fight by summoning their weapons but even Maleficent had some moral principle left and did not make any move as Gentai grieved over the death of his parents. But even Gentai knew that she had come and now he was angry beyond contempt and beyond despair.

"You…" he seethed, all his anger and emotion filling his heart with an unbridled rage. "You think you can just come in here and do as you please?!" Maleficent threw the pathetic boy a smirk and he shook his head in absolute rage. "No…NO!! This ends TODAY!!" Gentai ran at Maleficent before anyone could stop him. He leapt into the air and was about to come down upon the witch when suddenly he was blocked by a dark shield. Gentai saw the Huntsman's crossbow issuing a strange aura, creating the shield which was preventing him from reaching his target.

"Step away, whelp." the Huntsman said, every inch of malevolence within his body now displayed in his voice. Gentai scowled at him with unimaginable fury and Maleficent now smiled.

"Dear boy, our game has been much too fun." She then flicked her finger and Gentai went flying backwards, hitting the ground in a tumble. He knew he had no broken bones and the only thing currently injured was his pride. He quickly stood up and Sora gave him a look that inquired about his status. But he ignored it, focused only on his rage.

"What did I ever do to you?!" Gentai screamed out with all the rage imaginable in the world.

"You caused me trouble far too much, first by scorning my offer, then by eliminating my Hellfire Club and then by sealing all of the Keyholes." Maleficent chuckled evilly. "I believe it is payback time dear boy."

"What are you planning to do Maleficent?!" Mickey cried out and even Riku had joined in that chorus.

"While you were toying around on other worlds with the princesses…as I so knew you would, my Huntsman and other members of my club were replicating Xehanort's machines from beneath the castle due to the schematics we had found long ago. But we are changing its function. They shall not create Heartless but they shall amplify the darkness which will power me enough to spread destruction in this entire land." Maleficent explained to them, certain that victory was only a short way off.

"You're not gonna get that chance!" Gentai yelled, baring his Keyblade before him.

"Gentai, control your anger." Sora said calmly even though he himself was bubbling with rage deep inside. But Gentai wouldn't hear it and instead rushed again. Maleficent began to cackle.

"Oh, I'd love to chat, but I've got to put on a SHOW!!!" Maleficent raised her arms at the final statement and gale-force winds blew as flames began to spread. The Huntsman touched a small remote control device and suddenly the flames spread even further. Gentai stumbled and fell as the flames began to spread. One of them grazed over his shoulder and created a small burn on his right arm. Both Sora and Kairi dashed forward and grabbed the young teenager, dragging him away from the witch.

"We can't win this now!" Kairi yelled as the flames grew even stronger. Sora nodded in agreement as the howling was so loud they could barely even hear themselves think. However, without thinking, all the members of the team who knew how to cast magic quickly erected a reflect shield around them. And while the green and eerie flames were enough batter the shields and not reflect onto the user, they were lucky the shields did not once back.

None of them knew how long they held on like that. Some say it was mere minutes while others said it was hours. All they knew was that when at last the wind stopped howling and the green flames stopped blazing, there was no sign of Maleficent or the Huntsman. Indeed, there was no sign of anything at all. All of the houses and the forests, the farms and the people were gone. Every sign of technology that there ever was or had been was completely obliterated. And as the Keyblade wielders and their companions stood there viewing the carnage that had come about with Maleficent's first great victory they knew…

There was no going back.

THUS ENDS

PART I: ADVENTURE

OF

TWISTED SOULS

TO BE CONTINUED IN…

PART II: CONVOLUTIONS

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Author's Note: Boo-yah! Or not…I know, it was a very sad ending wasn't it (and short) and shows that things can only get crappier from here on out. That means the complete sign is not a lie. Will Gentai be able to handle the devastation of what has happened? What will the Keyblade wielders do now? Well, I can't answer these questions for you yet because it would totally ruin the story. I know it is sad but that is the way it has to be…no, the way it was meant to be. I hope that all of you, my few readers, will still continue to read and enjoy the journey of these characters into Part II.

**In the meantime, I do have homework for you…1) Watch **_**Treasure Planet**_** and the movies **_**Sky High**_** clearly they are both by Disney. 2) Listen to the track "Like A Dog Chasing Cars" on **_**The Dark Knight**_** soundtrack. And 3) Listen to the piece "Lord of the Castle" on the KH OST Complete. That should enrich your reading into Part II. That will probably be a good 20 chapters and will blow your mind…I hope. But I will not post for another two weeks so in the meantime, mull over that sad ending, put me on Author Alert, review and now and forever, Dare to Be Silly.**

**P.S. I would like for you to, in your reviews, tell me what you think of all of my characters' characterizations so I know for myself how well I'm crafting them for my purposes.**


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